


Though My Soul

by Carpe_History



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Bullying, F/M, Food problems, Foreign Language, Kid Fic, Kinda, Languages and Linguistics, M/M, Minor panic attacks, Other, Platonic Soulmates, Poly Soulmates, Romantic Soulmates, Slow Burn, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, T'hy'la, Tarsus IV, Wordcount: 50.000-100.000, language problems, people occasionally not paying attention to what their body is saying, yes. A soulmate au that's slow burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-01
Updated: 2017-07-08
Packaged: 2018-11-22 02:28:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 98,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11370696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carpe_History/pseuds/Carpe_History
Summary: Most species have soul marks.When a child turns ten, the marks show up on the inside of the non-dominant arm.The marks were the very thoughts of the child’s soulmate.Or: In which, Bones has a young soulmate and a family history he doesn't follow. Ben wants to see earth. Sulu is more qualified than you will ever be. Spock and Kirk are weird. Uhura can't pick a language to think in. Chekov is scary smart when he's on a roll. Scotty can't stop thinking about engineering.Or: a massive Soulmate AU of before, during, and after the 2009 movie.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> One. I have no regrets about accidentally writing a 95,000-word soulmate AU. No really. It wasn't supposed to be this long.  
> Two. I apologize for anyone who speaks any of the languages I use. I used lots of google translate. I will fix any mistakes if they are pointed out to me.  
> three. I saw Canon, and I changed it because I thought it would be interesting. This is my first Star Trek fanfic. I hope I've done well.  
> Four. I normally podfic. Check out my stuff! I'm also on tumblr: asailordreamingbeyondthehorizon.tumblr.com.

Most species have soul marks.

When a child turns ten, the marks show up on the inside of the non-dominant arm.

The marks were the very thoughts of the child’s soulmate. The thoughts of their soulmate would stay with the person until they or the soulmate died. Then the soulmates last thought would stay frozen on the person’s arm forever.

If a person met their soulmate, then the marks would burn because the soulmate would have thought of the person. A person’s marks only burned a few times in their life. Once, when a person received the marks. Once, they met the person and the person thought of them. And maybe, if a couple was lucky, then a few times after they had met for the first time. 

Some people missed the burn and had to match the marks to their thoughts to be able to find their soulmate again.

Some people were lucky and got their words before they were ten. That meant that their soulmate was older than them.

Some people were unlucky and never received marks.

That was what Leonard McCoy had always told.

That that’s what he believed. He was nearly eleven, and he was tired of being one of the last kids in his class to get soul marks. His friends had all of theirs. They had all gotten them on their tenth birthday or before their tenth birthday. He wanted to know what his soulmate was thinking.

His best friend, Evan, just got his yesterday on his birthday, and that officially made Len the last one to not have his marks and the only one over the age of ten.

For once, his father was home from the hospital when Len got home.

Len had to make sure that his father wasn’t sleeping first. Len’s Mamma told him that if Pa was asleep when Len got home from school, then it was because he needed his rest and Len wasn’t to wake him.

Being a doctor sounded utterly exhausting. Len didn’t think he wanted to be a doctor. Some days were good at the hospital, and some were bad.

His dad greeted him when he walked into the kitchen, so Len knew it had been a good day at the hospital.

“Dad, why don’t I have Marks yet? Evan got his yesterday, and I’m the last one in my grade not to have them.”

His father smiled lightly, “Leonard, not having marks just means you are the older soulmate. Your soulmate hasn’t been born yet.”

Leonard didn’t really like the sound of that. He didn’t want to be older. He scrunched up his nose in anger. “When will my soulmate be born, Dad?”

His father shook his head. “I don’t know. No one knows that. But now since you are older than ten, your marks will show up within a few days of your soulmate’s birth. You should also know that this is a McCoy family tradition, son.” He leaned down to ruffle Len’s hair.

“What is?” Len pushed off his dad’s hand and tried to fix his hair.

“Age gaps. McCoy’s have always either been the much younger soulmate or the much older one. Your grandfather was older than his soulmate. His little brother had your grandfather’s marks. That’s why most of our marriages haven’t been with our soulmates. Our bonds tend to be more bonds of friendship or family than romantic.” Len’s father told him. “Nothing wrong with it, but it's not common.”

Len nodded that made sense. He knew his parents weren’t soulmates but his mother’s soulmate was her twin sister and his father’s was his best friend who died when they were about twenty-five. Len had known about his grandfather’s marks too. His father smiled down at him, “Don’t worry about when they will show up. They will eventually.”

So, Leonard put all thoughts of his soulmate away. He tried to not let it bother him too much or at all that he was the only one who didn’t have marks. Len eventually forgot that his soulmate was supposed to be so much younger. Or that he would even have a soulmate. Some people never did get soul marks or have a soulmate.

There was nothing wrong with never having a soulmate.

Then a few months after he turned fourteen, after he got used to high school and had developed a crush on a cute blond girl who also lacked soul marks that sat next to him in homeroom, named Joycelyn Taylor. They had bonded over being the only ones at the high school and in their small town who didn’t have soul marks.

One afternoon just after school had ended He had felt a burning pain on his left arm that quickly faded and developed into a bruise on the inside of his left arm. Over the next few days, it became darker and more defined. Eventually, it turned into words.

Russian words.

 _доброе утро, мам_ (good morning, mom)

Len wasn’t sure what to think about that. He couldn’t read it, and when he got a translator to work on his arm, it just said good morning, mom. Like his soulmate was thinking about their greetings instead of saying them. Any changes in the marks were always simple words and sentences.

Well, the more Len thought about it, the more that made sense. His soulmate was a baby right now. Only a few days to a few weeks old. His father had congratulated him when Len had told him.

Joycelyn, who didn’t have soul marks, had frowned and had gotten cold to him for a while but eventually warmed back up to him.

Len was glad. He really liked Joycelyn.

-

Montgomery Scott was sure his soulmate was not an engine. No matter what his brothers said.

He glared at the clock on his wall. It was only eleven. His soulmate not being an engine was the only thing he was sure about. He didn’t have his words yet. He was about to turn ten in an hour, and he was going to prove it to his brothers and his friends.

He totally wasn’t soulmate to an engine.

He was sitting in his bedroom at his desk, glaring at the clock on the wall. Why wouldn’t the thing move faster? Montgomery had school in the morning and if his mother caught him up….

Montgomery was sure that the punishment wouldn’t be fun.

In the meantime, he was going to work on this toy hover car that the little kids down the road asked him to fix. The toy hovercar’s battery was drained, and even when they charged the battery, it would drain just as fast. Montgomery could fix that. It needed to small parts to repair it, but Montgomery knew he could do it. It was going to be easy.

As he worked, he forgot that it was nearing midnight. Forgot that he was waiting for his words. Forgot everything but the part in front of him and the work that he needed to do.

His friends said that his soulmate was probably an engine. That since he loved working on tech and engines and toys and hover cars (before his dad found out and made him stop doing it unsupervised,) that he had to have a piece of tech as his soulmate.

His brothers said that too. They said he was just too interested in mechanics for it not to be. Montgomery knew that they were teasing. His brothers had all gotten their marks before their tenth birthdays and he, being the youngest, and the only one not to get words before they turned ten, meant he was going to get teased.

Montgomery ignored when his right arm burned. He was working on a delicate small part. His arm must be tired.

Montgomery was sure he didn’t have an engine for a soulmate. He was sure his soulmate was going to be an amazing girl. Someone who was going to like the fact he liked engines and that most times they made more since then people. Someone who would let him ramble about the coolest new things.

Montgomery leaned back into his chair as he finished working on the toy hover car. It was working correctly. The charge still won’t last as long as it did before the toy broke but it will last for a while at least. He looked up at the clock and gasped out loud when he saw the time. It was after one in the morning! He reached over to his right arm and pulled up his sleeve.

 _Lakini_ _sitaki kufanya hivyo!_ (but I don't want to do that!)

Relief flowed through him. Not an engine.

Of course, he couldn’t read it. Of course, it was in a different language. He didn’t have a padd of his own yet, so he would have to ask for one of his brothers to translate for him. Or maybe his parents. He wasn’t sure. But at least now he knew that his soulmate wasn’t an engine!

But the next morning came, and the words were different. Not in the usual way different, when it was just the thoughts that had changed, but it looked like Montgomery’s soulmate was thinking in German. Montgomery was pretty sure that his soulmate’s thoughts weren’t in German last night.

 _Warum ist das so schwer zu lessen?_ (why is this so hard to read?)

he still asked his older brother for a translation.

“it says… ‘why is this so hard to read?’. Huh. It looks like your soulmate is learning how to read something, Monty.” His brother said. “They are thinking in German. Do you want mum to put you in German lessons?”

Montgomery shook his head. “Na… that would pull me out of the advanced engineering she was going to take me too! I don’t want to lose that.”

“Eh. Your choice. But if it were me then I would be learning German as fast as I can. So, I can at least talk to my soulmate.” His brother said with a shrug. Montgomery didn’t care. He didn’t voice his suspicion that his soulmate was learning German and actually spoke another language.

He wondered how old his soulmate was. He hoped that his soulmate, whoever she was, wasn’t too much younger than he was.

-

Spock was seven.

He and his father were walking to the healer’s building so he could be bonded. He absolutely did not want to meet the girl who would be his betrothed.

Not today anyway.

He had already met her at school, and he did not like her. And she did not like him. She looked down on him. Why he wasn’t sure. He was one of the best in the classes and was, telepathically, one of strongest the teachers had seen. He excelled in school if lagging a little in the physical fitness due to his human heritage.

T’pring always looked down her nose at him. It was not logical.

When his father leads him into the room where the healer, T’pring, and her father waited, Spock did his best not to frown. He was supposed to be passed such childish shows of emotion. He was meant to be letting the emotions go as he felt them, not feeling the emotions and letting them affect his actions. He would have to meditate more tonight.

“Now, both parties are here, let us begin.” The healer said. “S’hin T’gai Spock of the house Surak, come meet your betrothed.”

Spock walked forward and tried to ignore everything the healer said about T’pring.  He really did not like her. But he had accepted that this must happen for his own life and safety.

The healer was a tall woman, just as severe looking as every other Vulcan woman Spock had ever seen. The healer spoke the ritual words and touched his meld points and created a light connection between her and Spock. She then reached for T’pring to create a link between all three of them. The moment that T’pring was brought into the meld, Spock felt a sharp pain on his arm that burned like fire. T’pring felt it over the connection, and even she struggled not to cry out. Spock gritted his teeth and did not voice his pain.

The healer broke the meld with both children. She turned to Spock’s father. “I cannot bond your son to this child. He has a soulmate bond instead. It appeared early. Possibly in response to the ceremony. Any attempts at bonding will fail.” She gave a nod of acknowledgment to T’pring’s father and walked out of the room.

T’pring’s father looked at Sarek. “If your son can not be bonded to my daughter then the arrangement is over. I will forgive the dowry that was required of you. I will find another who is compatible with my daughter.”

Sarek agreed and gave the salute to T’pring’s father and watched T’pring and her father walk out of the room.

Spock was still at the center of the chamber. His attention was on his left arm. The burning had faded. It was now just a light stinging, and even that was going steadily away. He was not sure what had just happened, but it appeared that he was defiantly not going to bond with T’pring.

Thank Surak.

Spock did not allow his relief show on his face.

“Spock, come. We are to leave now. Your mother will want to see us soon.” Sarek said as he turned to walk to the door. Spock went to follow his father, but his attention was still on his arm. He pushed up the sleeve of his robes and let out a very light gasp and came to a sudden halt.

On his arm, there were words in the standard tongue. Broken standard but standard none the less.

_I’m hungry. My arm hurts. Why?_

Sarek had evidently heard Spock’s gasp because he was staring at Spock when Spock finally looked up.

“I am sure your mother will want to talk to you when we get home about your soul marks, Spock. She will have more experience than I do about having marks appear as a young child.”

“Ah… yes, father. I have many queries I must ask of mother.” Spock quickly caught up to his father. They left the healer’s building and started to walk the short distance to their home. So, these were soul marks. This is indeed what his soul mate was thinking.

Why did his soulmate not think in full sentences?  Why did they appear when the healer tried to bond him with T’pring? Why now that he was seven? Instead of the words appearing at the age of ten? The mind melds that the healers performed usually could see the presence of a soulmate bond. Vulcans usually had soulmates like most sentients beings. Vulcan soulmates were most of the time other Vulcans.

His parents were one of the few sets of exceptions. Vulcans had become excellent at choosing bond mates. Most bond mates were soulmates. Something about the bonding meld usually can tell. The healers said he did not have a soulmate. So, he was chosen to pair with a female who also did not have a soulmate. His family paid the dowry that T’pring’s family required and the bonding date was set.

Having one appear during the bonding was just confusing to Spock.

His mother was waiting at the door when Sarek and Spock came home. She had apparently been waiting. She looked expectantly around for T’pring and her father. When they did not follow Sarek and Spock in, Spock saw her frown and look at Sarek. When Sarek did not say anything she said, “Well? What happened? I thought we would have guests after the bonding?”

“There was no bonding,” Sarek said, as he walked from the entryway to the main living room, Spock followed. He was still rubbing at his left arm although the burning and the stinging had long since faded. It was illogical to rub at the arm, but he still did it.

“There was no….” Amanda trailed off as she saw what Spock was doing. “You mean he has a soulmate? I thought the healers said he wasn’t going to have one.”

“Not precisely, my wife,” Sarek said. “The healers said that he had no soulmate of Vulcan decent. That if he had a soulmate, then it would be most likely someone who was not born yet. But when the healer tried to combine T’pring and Spock, she said that the meld pushed the marks forward early.”

“So, he has a soulmate. And it’s not a Vulcan. Well then, what language do they think in?” Amanda asked. She had directed the last question to Spock.

“My Soulmate thinks in standard, mother. But it is simple standard, like one who is learning a language.” Spock responded. He was still looking at his arm. He had pulled up his sleeve. What was written there was indeed standard. But there was earth vernacular that Spock did not recognize, but he got a general picture. “But I do not think they understand what has appeared on their non-dominate arm.”

_Man, I’m hungry enough to eat a house. At least my arm stopped hurting. And there’s some really cool pictures there now! I like the circles!_

Amanda had to smile. “Spock, do you think in Vulcan?” She asked. “Because I don’t believe that your soulmate understands your thoughts. That means your soulmate will have to learn Vulcan to read your thoughts on their arm.”

Spock felt a fission of shock run through him. It had not occurred to him that his soulmate would not be able to read their marks as quickly as he read his own.

“Will they be able to eventually?” Spock asked.

“If they want to they will.” His mother responded. “I learned to read Vulcan because of your father’s thoughts. But it is a difficult language to learn for a Terran so they might not be able to.”

Spock started. “My soulmate’s Terran?”

“Yes, I imagine so. With slang like that, your soulmate would most likely be Terran.”

“Spock,” His father said. “I would suggest meditation, to think about what having a soulmate means. Having a soulmate will change how you act and will affect some of your decisions in the future. Please take careful consideration of this.”

“Yes, father. I will.”

He gave a salute to his father, and his mother goes to hug him but pulls back at the last moment because he has asked her to stop hugging him.

He hugs her anyway. He feels the breach in emotionalism is justified after today.

-

Ben Miyota is ten. He wakes on his tenth birthday and sees the words printed on his arm. He’s really excited because they think in Standard. And he thinks in the standard language. They would be able to find each other easily now! His sister’s soulmate thinks in Andorian, and his sister is desperately learning how to speak, read and write in Andorian.

Her attempts aren’t easy to look at.

But the only rain on Ben’s parade is that he is pretty sure his soulmate doesn’t live on Mars Colony Four as he does. He loves it on Mars but his soulmate thinks about oceans, and those don’t happen on Mars.

_The ocean is beautiful from the Golden Gate Bridge._

Today he’s sure his soulmate is in California, but he needs to be sure.

“Mom?” he asks.

His mom is sitting at her work desk finishing up some of the paperwork for the bank she works for. The bank has just opened up a branch on the Mars colony, and his mom has been putting so many hours into getting it up and running. She looks up at his question. “Yes, Ben?”

“Are we still going to visit Aunt Kim over the summer?” Ben’s Aunt Kim lives in the northern part of Oregon. It’s close to California. Maybe they would be able to visit what his soulmate is thinking about.

“Yes, we still are… why?” His mother was losing attention on him. Her concentration did waver if she was busy with other things.

“Well, I want to see San Francisco. I really want to see the Golden Gate Bridge!” Ben’s soulmate was thinking about the Golden Gate Bridge a lot in the past three weeks, and Ben wanted to know why.

“That’s fine. I’ll tell your aunt. We’ll make a day trip out of it. Your sister hasn’t seen San Francisco either.”

Once he got his mother’s permission, Ben was ecstatic.

He was going to go where his soulmate was.

Maybe they will meet!

-

Nyota is three when her words show up.

She was reading a German children’s book when she felt the burn on her arm, white lettering appearing where before there had only been skin.

They showed up in the middle of the day while they traveled from a mining colony near Orion back to earth after her uncle had fixed their communication problems.  

 _matamataig_ _e furasta. eachdraidh a tha nas cruaidhe. Carson a dh'fheumas mi airson ionnsachadh a tha e?_ (mathematics is easy. history is harder. why do I have to study it?)

Nyota didn’t know what her soulmate said. It bothered her. She wanted to know what everyone said. She liked hearing the differences between languages. She loved hearing what was similar. She thought it was really cool.

But since she really wanted to know what her soulmate was thinking, she went to the ship's cockpit to ask her mother. Her mother knew the most languages in their family.

Her mother sat in the pilot’s seat and was reading some panels.

“Mama, what does this mean?” Nyota asked, showing her mother the words on her arm. Nyota’s mother, Malika, took one look at the lighter words on her daughter’s arm and sighed. So, her daughter’s soulmate is seven years older than her.

At least Nyota is good with languages. Malika did not recognize the language on Nyota’s arm. 

“I don’t know what that means, sweetie. Let’s ask your father and uncle and see if they know.” Her mother said, standing up and making sure that the autopilot was still engaged. She took Nyota’s hand went to find the rest of the family.

After an hour, it became apparent that her soulmate thinks in another language that is unfamiliar to her mother, her father and her uncle. Between the three of them, they know about fifteen languages. They had named most of the ones that used English lettering. None of the languages worked. They were all surprised about that.

Nyota already knew Swahili, French, and Standard. Her father was starting to teach her German. She wants to learn to read and speak what her soulmate thinks in. It looked beautiful.

And until they stopped at the next nearest star base or got back to Earth they don’t have a working translator.

Nyota may have broken their only one while looking for translations of Andorian and German.  They didn’t think they would need more than one because of her uncle knew at least four Xeno-languages.

They were heading back to Earth after a communication shut down on a mining colony near Orion had called her family from their trip to the Earth colony on Mars. She knew her mother was an excellent teacher, and her father worked for a translating business, but it was her uncle that the mining colony had called for.

He was the best with communication machines and systems. Like the satellites that send information to ships from space. He was an expert in creating devices that allowed people to talk to other people.

Nyota thought that was really cool.

Her uncle, Kamari, was teaching her some really cool things, like how to speak Andorian. (There was a reason she broke the translator.)

So, she had to wait to find out what language her soul mate thought in. She wanted to read what they say!

-

Hikaru was sure he was going to be the older soulmate. He was sure of it.

Every day he looked forward to meeting his soulmate and seeing what they are like. As he got closer to his tenth birthday, he felt more excited.

He wondered if his soulmate would think in standard. He wondered if HE thought in standard. His parents had been speaking to him in Japanese for years and made him learn how to write it too.  So maybe his thoughts were in Japanese? He didn’t know, or he couldn’t tell.

Hikaru wondered what his first thoughts to his soulmate would be. Maybe it would be about Fencing?

His parents pushed him into kendo, but it was kind of early on that he discovered that he preferred fencing over kendo. He liked the rules and the subtleties that came with fencing. He wasn’t such a fan of the padding, but Hikaru would never trade fencing for anything else.

Or maybe his first thoughts would be about botany? He did really like learning about plants too. He loved living in San Francisco because of all the plants that came with the area. If he wanted more diversity, then he would ask his parents to take him out to places like the Redwoods or Yosemite.

Thus, he felt terribly disappointed when he woke up three months before his tenth birthday with a burning sensation on his arm that quickly faded. There were words written in black standard letters on his right arm.

_I wonder what mom is going to make for dinner? Or is it Mia’s turn?_

Dinner? That’s this soulmate’s first thought to him?

Hikaru felt disappointed. But he tries to shake it off.  Hikaru at least has a soulmate then. And they weren’t much older than he was! That was good. There was only a three-month difference.

And Hikaru realized, they thought in standard. So, he can read the soul marks. And his soulmate could read his.

He tried hard to send a thought to his soulmate. It didn’t work unsurprisingly. Hikaru knew just like everyone did, that you couldn’t talk to your soul mate through the marks.

It would be much easier finding and meeting your soulmate if that were possible.

-

“Oh, Jimmy.” His mother sighed when Jim showed her the swirls and lines in black on his left arm. “That’s your soul marks, the daily thoughts of your soulmate. I don’t know what it says though… it’s in another language. Let’s get a translator.”

Jim was four. He was about to start school and then these words – maybe? - showed up on his arm.

 _po_ _did wuh hassu pehkaya wuh van-kal?_ (why did the doctor/healer stop the ceremony?)

Jim is sure he doesn’t know what most of the swirls and curves and lines mean. But he thinks it’s real pretty any. His brother, Sam, doesn't believe so.

“Must be hard having so much art on your arm, Jimmy,” Sam told him after seeing the marks for the first time. Their mom was still digging around the farm house looking for her translator.

“Well, at least I have marks!” Jim retorted. Sam wasn’t even eight yet. He would have to wait two years before his marks showed up. If the marks showed up at all. Sam wasn’t concerned. But he was interrupted by their mother’s return with the translator.

“It's Vulcan,” his mother said, after a minute of holding the translator up to his arm. “’Why did the healer or doctor stop the ceremony?’ Huh. That’s rather formal for a ten-year-old. Must be a Vulcan thing. I wonder what ceremony that would be.”

“Vulcan?” Jimmy asked because that can’t be right. Why would his soulmate be Vulcan? That doesn’t sound fun at all.

“Yep. Vulcan. I suppose I should sign you up for some classes when you start school.” His mother stood up with the translator and walked to the kitchen rolling up her sleeves as she went. Jimmy could see his mother’s marks on her right arm. The last thought his father ever had. _I wish we had more time. I love you so._

Jimmy’s mother was always sad when she saw the marks. But she always loved to talk to Jimmy about his dad. Sam did too. They missed the man, and Jimmy had never met him.

He kinda wanted to.

Sam did the math for Jim. “Your soulmate is ten now, so they are at least six years older than you,” Sam informed him. “When you are ten they will be sixteen.”

Jim didn’t like the sound of that, and he frowned. At least he had a soulmate. Jim eyed where his mom had put the translator on the kitchen table as she started to make dinner. He would need that soon.

-

By the time, Leonard finally got the guts to ask Joycelyn out in their Junior year he had already almost forgotten about his soulmate being so much younger than he was.

He didn’t often reach for the translator anymore, but sometimes, when Len was bored, he did translate his arm. What Len translated on his arm was a little weird. The thoughts of his soulmate and the words were getting more and more advance. His soulmate was developing faster than most people would be improving by just growing up. His soulmate was about two. They should not be doing basic algebra. Well, as far as he could tell, it was basic algebra. Getting accurate translations of the Russian words was hard.

He was a junior in high school, not a mathematics genius. Unlike his soulmate apparently.

 _Если_ _x ^ 2_ _плюс_ _b ^ 2_ _равно_ _c ^ 2,_ _то_ _x_ _равно_ _6_ (if x^2 plus b^2 is equal to c^2 then x is equal to 6.)

Joycelyn really didn’t like Leonard even looking at his marks. She liked it even less as they got to college.

“It’s not fair that you have them and I don’t,” she told him just before they started college when they were nearly eighteen, “I always thought that my soulmate wasn’t born yet and they would be born when I was older but now… I don’t think I have a soulmate at all.” She looked so sad that Len had to kiss her. Just to make her smile. Len would do anything to just to see Joycelyn smile. Even ignore his soulmate for a while.

Or ignore them for at least a day or two before he’ll reach for the Translator again.  Or just look at the marks.

He didn’t mention that he was saving up for a ring. He almost had enough to get her the one she had been dreaming about. He had the proposal all planned out. It was going to be as big as Joyce always wanted. He knew that when they started at Mississippi State, it would be just what they had dreamed it would be.

They had planned it out for their senior year. Len and Joycelyn were going to go to school, then Len was off to med school, and for Joycelyn, it was going to be law school at Mississippi State. They were going to get married sometime during college and then once they had graduated and he finished his internship and she was at a law firm they were going to start a family.

Len was confident that they were going to be great together. That together they were going to change the world.

He would eventually find his soulmate and meet them. They would probably be his close friend or almost brother or sister. He’ll be happy with either.

There was a tiny part of him that looked at the stars and wonders what was out there, despite his fear of flying. That small part of him tells Len that he's lying. That he’s lying to himself. That his soulmate was probably more than family. That his concern over their rapid progress is a sign of more. His nearly five-year-old soulmate was young and learning so quickly. That his concern when he translates his marks finds that his soulmate is injured in some way is also a sign that he could feel more.

That little part of him that said he was meant for more than being a small town doctor who was married to the small town lawyer.

Leonard ignores that part of him a lot.

He hates space. He's going to keep his feet on the ground like it's supposed to be. He loves Jocelyn. They were going to get married. His soulmate is going to be platonic. He has Jocelyn. She'll accept his soulmate when she meets them. No matter what she says now. It will be okay.

Len ignores the small part of him that thinks he’s lying and that he’s deluding himself. But he, no matter how much Jocelyn tries, never can ignore his soul marks.

 _Я хочу достичь звезд, они такие красивые. Я должен идти и быть среди них._ (I want to reach for the stars, they are so pretty. I must go and be among them.)

-

Nyota is eleven when their shuttle has the accident while they were in orbit. She keeps her parents alive, moving them to the escape pod and watched as she loses sight of her uncle out of the viewport as their pod’s damaged auto pilot barely keeps them from burning up in the atmosphere.

Like her uncle surely did.

It's only after they have all been released from the hospital do they have the funeral. Nyota and her father were the first to be allowed to go home. Her mother was badly burnt by the helm station during the accident, so she had to stay in for much longer.

The funeral was huge. Nyota thought that her uncle would have liked it. Her uncle was well known for his abilities to speak so many languages and work with the communications arrays on several different planets and space stations. His funeral was well attended.

Nyota almost didn’t want to go. Her parents made her though, and Nyota didn’t fight it. She had felt lost after the accident.

During the funeral, Nyota sat, and she thought. She watched as people her uncle knew talked about his life and his greatness. She didn’t feel like this honored her uncle. It was too impersonal. To fleeting. Nyota was going to honor him in a better way. He may have liked the funeral, but she didn’t think it was enough. It wasn’t good enough.

Something that would carry on his legacy.

She would learn more languages and speak them to help people talk to each other. That’s what her uncle always did. He helped people talk to each other. To communicate. To ultimately understand. To understand what was being said and to understand each other.

She could do that.

She already spoke Swahili, German, French, Spanish, Gaelic, Scots Gaelic, Standard and Andorian fluently. She was conversational in six other languages. All but Andorian were Terran languages.

Nyota decided that she was going to learn the most languages she could.

“Mom,” Nyota said in standard, after the funeral. “I want to learn Klingon.”

Her mother just looked at her with confusion. “Why do you want to learn Klingon? Weren’t you going to learn Amharic next?”

“I do and I will. But I think I want to learn how to speak Klingon first. I don’t know many Xeno-languages, and I want to know more.” Nyota did notice the look her parents exchanged over her head, but she did her best to pretend that she didn’t see it.

“We’ll teach you Klingon. Why the sudden desire?” her father said.

“I want to learn for uncle Kamari.” Nyota looked down at her shoes, not wanting to see their faces.

“Oh Nyota…” her mother said, reaching out and grabbing Nyota into a hug. “Don’t worry. We will teach you how to speak Klingon. Any others?”

“I just want to learn more. So, I can help people more.” This Nyota was sure of. She wanted to be able to help people communicate. That was very important.

 _Aon latha bidh mi a ruigsinn nan rionnagan agus bidh iad a 'greimeachadh air mo làmh, agus mi a bhith nam measg. Tha fios agam gum bi thu maille riumsa, mo ghràdh. buin thu ri na reultan._ (One day I'll reach for the stars, and they will grasp my hand, and I'll be among them. I know you will be with me, my love. You belong with the stars.)

-

The thing was that Jim liked Frank when he first came around. His mother was happy, and Sam loved him too.

Jim was about seven when he first met Frank. His mother had been dating him for about six months and had finally had brought Frank home to meet the kids. Frank had no soulmate and seemed content in that. Jim’s soulmate was still thinking in Vulcan, but occasionally he thought in Standard. Sam’s soulmate just thought in Standard.

Frank had been fantastic. He liked to talk to Jim about his school work and the more advance work that his mother had given him when it was clear that Jim wasn’t a trouble maker because he was looking for attention.

Jim was a trouble maker because he was done and bored. His mom had talked to the school and struck a deal. Now when Jim was complete with his class work, his teachers handed him some basic engineering and advance math problems worksheets. His mom would help him correct the problems when he got home.

The problems helped Jim stay out of trouble.

Frank helped him when he was stuck, and his mom wasn’t there. He tried to help Jim when he was working on the simple Vulcan work too, but it was apparent that neither of them was great at languages. Especially Vulcan.

Jim’s attempt to learn Vulcan never went beyond a few words or phrases.

Frank made Sam laugh when he was at his most depressed and took Jim out to play when he was really riled up.

When his mother married Frank when Jim was eight, everyone was happy for several months.

Then Starfleet called.

Jim knew his mom had unofficially retired from Starfleet when he was born. She had lost her husband, her crew, and her ship. His mother had two children to raise by herself and a husband to grieve over. He didn’t know at the time but found out later that she was officially ‘on a leave of absence’ that she had been told would probably never be activated.

But Starfleet never left people behind that they could use.

They desperately needed someone with her engineering skills and background on a ship with two-year colony mission. Starfleet said it would be easy. Just deliver the supplies and people and come home. Yes, it would take a while, but it would be easy.    

She didn’t want to take the offer, but she owed people favors. Frank had been furious when he found out about the offer and how it really wasn’t an offer. Just a set of new orders. Frank hadn’t been introduced to the idea of Starfleet. He didn’t expect  Once you were in, they could, and they would tell you where to go and how to get there. And Jim’s mom hadn’t really ever left Starfleet.

So, she left.

And when she left, she took the nice right out of Frank. But they didn’t know that yet.

_Sometimes I dream. About the stars._

_-_

Spock doesn’t know what to make of his soulmate’s thoughts. Neither do his peers. So, they bully him for it. They bully him for being half human. They bully him for being good at the assignments they are given. They bully him for being strong telepathically. They bully him for everything.

He tries to not to pay attention to ones so lacking in logic that they must attack him.

_I’m so bored! Why do they take so long to learn something this easy?_

He almost fails when they try to insult his apparently Human soulmate. He stays stoic as he must, but it was hard to stay in control.

He does fail when they bring up his mother.

When Spock feels his fist connect with Stronn’s face, all he feels is anger.

By the time the instructors pull him off of Stronn and separate him, all he feels is a shame.

His father comes to the school to pick him up.

“Why did you marry mother?” Spock asked he was conscious of the cut on his lip and the bruise forming on his eye. He was more aware of the fact he would be left alone by his peers now. They would talk behind his back, but he was definitely going to be left alone.

“It was…. Logical. I was past twenty years when your mother’s thoughts appeared on my arm. I was already bonded to my former bandmate. At the time, I did not think much of it, as your mother would be a child. When I became the ambassador to Earth, and my former bond mate left to become a master of Gol and I met your mother, it was logical to marry her. She was human, I lived among human beings, and she was my soulmate.” Sarek responded, looking at Spock.

Spock nodded, accepting that. He has trouble with it, but he accepts it anyway. Spock loves mother. And he will fight for her more if necessary. He watched as his father stood. “Come now. Your mother awaits us at home.”

“I am going to attempt Kahs-wan, Father,” Spock told Sarek as he stood. He did not ask for permission. He was going to do it whether he got permission or not. “In one week, I will attempt the Kahs-wan.”

Sarek was silent for a moment. “If that is what you have reasoned is best for you, then I will not stop you. But if you fail then you will wait until your proper time to attempt again. And you must be the one to tell your mother. This is an adult’s choice.”

Spock agrees. “I will tell her.”

Both father and son are quiet while they travel home.

Spock’s mother, Amanda, is in the living room when they arrive. She has a sad look on her face that Spock always hates. He hates that he was part the of the reason why it’s there now. Spock tells her that he's going to attempt the Kahs-wan and while she looks like she would want to protest she doesn't.

It was later when he was supposed to be meditating, and he wasn't, does she come in to talk to him. She comes into his room and sits on his bed, just watching him. Spock, for the most part, tries to reach a state of meditation but it’s clear that he is failing so he stops. It would be illogical to continue.

“Mother. May I ask a personal query?”

Amanda smiles lightly. “Of course, dear. What do you need to know?”

Spock glances at his left arm then take a deep breath. “Why did you marry father? And when did you know he was your soulmate?”

Amanda was silent for a moment taking in Spock’s questions. “I married your father because I loved him. He was the person who lead me to learn how to read Vulcan. As you know, I’ve never been able to speak it without an accent, but I’ve done my best. Inadvertently that brought me to work on the universal translator while I thought at the University. Which as you know, lead me to Sarek.”

Spock nodded, but he persisted. “But when did you know he was your soulmate?”

“The day I met him, I felt the burn. But I like many people, ignored the feeling. Your father did not ignore the feeling, but he didn’t know how to tell me. But I realized it myself when he gave me advice for the first time, a few weeks later. I was wearing short sleeves and could see him say the exact thing written on my arm. I was happy to learn of it.” Amanda smiled fondly at the memory.

Spock stood and walked to his bed and sat next to him mother. They were alone, and so he didn’t fight when his mother put her arm around his shoulders.

“Spock. I know you want to complete the Kahs-wan. And I won’t fight you on that, but please tell me you will do your best.”

“I will mother.” Spock was going to do his best anyway, but he could see that the illogical promise reassured his mother.

“And please, while you are out there meditating, think about your soulmate. I know that your soulmate is Terran like I am and filled with irrational thoughts, but they are your soulmate. Sometimes your soulmate won’t affect what you think or do, but sometimes they do. I want you to think about that.”

“…. I will try, Mother,” Spock said. He was not sure what he was supposed to think about his soulmate. He was Vulcan, like his father, so he would marry for logic instead of love.

He supposed he could think about his soulmate while he was alone.

_I dream of the stars too, ya know._

 -

Monty was sure the lady from Starfleet wasn’t paying him any attention.

He was only slightly aware of her, honestly.

He just wanted to get this project right. He was so close to making the self-contained miniaturized warp engine work. It wouldn’t actually go to warp, but it would show the principle that items could go to the miniature. His high school science advisor said that it wouldn’t work and he should try to do something more manageable but really what did idiot know anyway?

Monty jumped out of his skin when a woman’s calm voice asked, “Are you, Mr. Scott?”

He turned around and saw that it was the Starfleet officer. She was dressed in the gray dress uniform. Her collar devices were the symbols of Starfleet engineering and security. She was also eyeing his senior project with knowledge and understanding that Monty wasn’t sure he liked.

“Ah… yes. That’s me.” Monty said, trying not to stutter. He moved to block his project from her view. It wasn’t done yet and even if it was it might not work. “is there anything I can do for you?” he asked.

The woman shook her head. “No. Not do per say. But I would like to see what ideas you have in your head. This is some impressive work for a high school student.”

Monty was sure he was blushing. It wasn’t often his work was praised. Most of his classmates called him crazy. His brothers had all moved out by now, but they did like his work when he saw them. His parents were sure that he was going places, but they didn’t understand what he did, even after he explained it.

إذا كنت إتقان هذه اللغة ثم سوف أعرف كيفية التحدث بجميع اللغات الأفريقية. (If I master this language then I will know how to speak all the African languages.)

“I’ve been working on a smaller, near working, model of a standard warp engine. It’s not going to into warp because I don’t have any dilithium in it but it will go up to a full impulse... Or it’s supposed to. Some of the wires aren’t connecting right now.”

“Still, non-connecting wires aside. This is very impressive. Sir, have you thought about Starfleet? We could use someone like you to work on our engines.” The Starfleet officer asked. She was still looking at the project intently, but Monty could see that her attention was on him.

Monty had thought of Starfleet before, but he didn’t think he could get into it. Getting into the academy was harder than most people even realized. Monty didn’t think he had it in him to make it.

“I can’t say I have, ma’am.”

The Starfleet officer looked up at him and reached out her hand. “I think you have what we need in Starfleet. And I believe that we have what you need. We’ve got new ships, old ships, engine rooms like you can’t believe. Technologies like you have never seen. And we are on the cutting edge of everything so you would be the first to get new updates on well… everything!”

Monty thought that sounded fun and exciting. Better than going to the University of Edinburgh (where they have won the prize for the best engineering department in all of the United Kingdom ten years in a row) But he was still wary. The Starfleet Academy has less than a ten percent acceptance rate.

“Can I think it over and talk with you in a few days?” He asked taking her hand and shaking it.

The Starfleet recruiter smiled, “Yes, of course, you can. Let me give you my comm number, and we will be able to talk later. But I really do think you have a future at Starfleet.”

Monty nodded. He still wasn’t sure, but it looked better than what he was doing now.

-

Jim felt the thrill of the wind in his hair as he drove down the road as fast as he could go. He didn’t care that he had passed Sam on the way. He had told Sam that if he left today, then Jim was going to steal the car.

Sam left.

So that’s what Jim did. Took the keys and stole the car. Because Frank was going to sell it anyway and Jim wasn’t going to let that happen.

Because Frank was an asshole.

Even his soulmate seemed to agree.

_A person’s father should not lay a hand on their child. Whether or not they are related by blood._

Jim wasn’t wearing a jacket so he could see his soulmate’s thoughts and thankfully they were in Standard for once. Jim thought back to the marks on his arm. ‘Well Frank’s an asshat, so I’m going to do what I want.’

He didn’t bother looking for a response. Everyone knew that people didn’t get responses when they thought directly at their soulmates. Only telepathic species with bonds and who are actually actively bonded, like Betazoids or Vulcans, could do that.

His soulmate thinking about abusive stepfathers was a bizarre coincidence.

In the past four years since he had seen him mother in person, her mission had been extended twice. Both of them for a year. Frank had stayed pleasant or at least tolerable for about a year and a half. Until they learned that Winona was going to be extended. Sam, who had been fourteen at the time, had dealt with Frank’s abuse first. Then it turned on to Jim. In three years, it had gone from a little firm of punishments for wrongdoings to almost beatings and definite verbal abuse.

His mother was trying to get them all separated, but she didn’t have any living relatives who could take care of the boys. American divorce courts required that every party be there in court to grant a divorce and her ship was too far away to get to Earth.

Until she got back, which was supposed to be in a month and now was going to be another year, Jim and Sam were stuck.

So, Sam ran away, and Jim stole a car.

He was going to crash it. Somehow.

The cops behind him made him do it a lot earlier than planned though.

As he drove for the canyon cliff, he could see his soulmate freaking out about something. He could feel his arm burn. And that was weird.

 _ra_ _nam-tor t'nash-veh katra katelau tor? ra tor au tvai tevul?_ (what is my soulmate doing? What do they mean crash?)

What all Jim knew was that Frank wasn’t going to sell his father’s car. And he wasn’t going to hurt Jim again either. With Sam gone to find his soulmate in England then all Jim had was himself and his soulmate.

And he was going to do everything he needed to protect himself and his soulmate.

Sometime in the last year since Jim’s mother left, Frank got it in his head that he could expand the family business. Frank had been determined that Jim learns Vulcan so Frank could get farm business from the planet. Jim didn’t think it made any sense, but he was a kid at the time. But Jim really didn’t have much skill for languages, and all Jim really could have was basic greetings and phrases. Beyond that, he didn’t have much luck.

He was much happier now his soulmate occasionally thought in Standard too.

_What do they mean crash? And why does their arm hurt?_

Jim saw the canyon edge, and for a really long moment as he drove closer to the brink he thought about staying in the car as it went over the edge.

His arm felt like it was on fire.

 _Ra_ _tor au tvai stay svi' wuh poiq'lid u' ish-veh hal-tor abru' wuh menal?! ri tor ik!_ (what do they mean to remain in the car as it goes over the cliff?! Do not do that!)

_Do not let yourself die. Do not leave me alone in this universe! You are important to me. Please do not crash._

Jim read his soul marks as the car gets closer to the edge.

He hasn’t been told he’s important before. Not since his mother left.

He jumps.

He knows the moment he is dropped off by the cop that he is in for a wailing but a part of him is glad that Sam is gone. That Jim’s distraction and revenge worked.

Frank just glares at him.

“Go pack your bags.” Frank snarls at him.

Jim starts. “What?”

“Go pack your fucking bags, you little shit stain. I’m sending you to my sister. She will be able to straighten you out.” Frank looks like he wants to punch Jim but doesn’t because the cop is still outside the house.

“Where am I going exactly?” Jim says. He’s already walking toward the stairs. He’s probably going to go away for the weekend and then he would be back. Frank has sent both him and Sam away before.

“Tarsus iv. That’s where my sister lives. You aren’t coming back until your mother gets home.” Frank said with a look of humor on his face as Jim met him with a look of horror on his.

-

Hikaru smiled to himself as he walked to the fencing gym. It was quiet in the morning before school. It was rare that it was quiet. He did live in San Francisco.

He had a tournament in a week, and he wanted to be ready. He was going to win. He was going to need the scholarship money.

_Earth was so beautiful. So much diversity of plant life. It was everywhere!_

Hikaru’s soulmate had been to earth in the past month. The boy wouldn’t stop thinking about it. At fourteen, Hikaru was sure he was just attracted to males, so he knew his soulmate was another boy. And Hikaru also agreed with his soulmate that Earth’s plant diversity was huge.

But Hikaru was wondering what other world’s plants looked like. He wanted to know.

Hikaru was sure that he was going to find out because he was going to get into Starfleet.

His parents weren’t surprised when he told them. They had seen him staring every time a Starfleet officer walked around. He had seen the cadets since he had been a child. He knew the Academy. Hikaru needed to be there. And then after he needed to be in space. Looking for the plants he had seen only on his padd.

He wanted to know.

When he arrived at the gym, his trainer and coach met up with him.

“Hikaru, if you win this tournament then you will have to move up to the next level. That means combat training.” His coach said.

Hikaru’s trainer agreed, “We know you have the ability to do it, but we need you to win before we can start to teach you. You must be sure of your skills.”

Hikaru nodded. That all made sense. He was going to win anyway. He needed to if he was going to go to Starfleet, but this is cool too.

Hell, it might be useful.

_I really like this book. It gives great descriptions of earth and its plants. I can’t wait to see more of them in person._

-

Spock had been watching his soul marks closely for years. Since his Kahs-wan. When it was just him and his soulmate out in the wild Vulcan desert. He had taken his mother’s advice and had meditated about his soulmate.

He came to the conclusion that his soulmate would be important to him.

At the time, his soulmate had been a happy child. Spock himself was only about eleven years, so he knew his soulmate must be younger.

When he saw his soulmate’s thoughts grow darker and more depressed as the years passed, Spock was concerned. He wanted his soulmate to be happy. Not almost suicidal.

Spock knew the change had something to do with his soulmate’s stepfather. Spock thought that fathers and stepfathers were at least supposed to care for their charges. It would be illogical if they did not.

The day Spock saw the thought of _if’s my brother’s gone then I don’t want to be here either. No one wants me anymore._  Spock’s attention was glued to his arm. He ignored what he was supposed to be doing in favor of watching the progression of his soulmate’s thoughts. His arm burned for most of the day.

_I’m gonna take the car. He can’t fucking stop me. I’ve got to give Sam a way out._

_I’m gonna crash it. Once my arm stops hurting. Stupid burning._

_I’m going to drive it right off the cliff._

_I’m not going to jump out._

Spock, even knowing it was futile, had desperately thought of his soulmate, begging them to stay alive. That they were important to him.

And they did survive.

Like Spock’s thoughts had reached them and they listened.

Spock knew that was impossible, but he took some comfort in the fact his soulmate survived.

They had been sent off the planet. His Terran soulmate wasn’t on Terra. But they seemed to be happy again.

Now several years later he was in a prep school for the Vulcan Science Academy. And he knew his soulmate was living off of the planet they were born on. That they were really enjoying life there.

Spock felts relieved. He has just under two years until he is old enough to take the entrance examinations to the VSA. Spock was going to go to the Vulcan Science Academy. He was going to be the perfect Vulcan. Then he was going to find his soulmate, and they were going to be very logical and content together.

Spock knew that this was going to meet all of his and his father’s expectations.

_I wonder why the harvest is so small this season?_

-

Pavel can’t remember a time when he didn’t have words on his arm.

According to his mother, he was born with his soul marks predominantly etched onto his left arm in dark black writing. He could read them at a young age. It was always in standard. And it was always with slang and metaphors and phrases.

_Why I gotta smack that guy for giving me so much lip! The nerve of him._

His soulmate thinking in standard rather than Russian helped Pavel started to learn how to speak standard. By then he was about five.

His parents had started him in school at the age of five, like most children but it became evident that Pavel was very good at school and learning. That he was genius level smart. Soon Pavel was passing all of his peers in everything. He was smarter than the rest of them, and it showed.

Pavel had managed to stay friends with a few of his peers, but it was harder than it could have been and was getting harder. He saw them after school and in-between his more advanced classes.

He spent a lot of time staring at the stars. The stars weren’t contestant, but they provided a challenge that he never really got while attending school. He could finish all the work too easily. One of his teachers was starting to give him advance physics lessons and more math work.

She had started to hint at giving him the application testing for Starfleet as soon as he was old enough.

By the time he was ten, the rest of his friends had gotten their soul marks and had realized that Pavel had his soulmate mark for years. That just put Pavel out even farther in front of his peers. Pavel wasn’t connecting with them as much as he used to.

Pavel had released several things about his soulmate over the years:

His soulmate was an older male. More than a decade older at least. Maybe at least twenty.

His soulmate was married.

His soulmate was a doctor.

His soulmate hated the idea of space and flying.

All of which sucked for Pavel. Because he loved space. He loved to look at the star charts that his teachers gave him sometimes. He wanted to get into Starfleet.  He was smart enough to do it too.

He was scared of doctors they kept giving him shots and hyposprays.

He was also pretty sure that he had a crush on his soulmate. And he didn’t think that even if they met, that crush would be returned. His soulmate’s wife was a pretty important person to him too. Despite his near-daily complaints about her.

Pavel thought that his soulmate was funny and just as smart as he was but in a different way. While Pavel was able to do advanced math in his head, his soulmate could and would be able to treat anyone with any injury or illness.

Pavel could see his soulmate’s thoughts. It was almost always thoughts about concern about his parents or thinking about pleasing his wife. Sometimes it was about his patients.

And occasionally complaining about his wife.

_Why can’t she see that I’m trying to help here? That’s not enough?!_

Pavel wanted to say to his soulmate that he was enough. That Pavel could see that his soulmate was helping. But his soulmate would never get any thoughts directly from Pavel. That’s not how the soul marks worked. And that hurt Pavel.

 A small part of Pavel worried that his soulmate apparently didn’t want a super smart, little Russian boy. But he pushed that thought back. It would do him no good. Pavel could reach for the stars. He would be able to go far and maybe that would lead to meeting his soulmate. 

If he was the best of his peers and then maybe the best of Starfleet then maybe his soulmate would notice him and not mind that Pavel came with the stars.


	2. Chapter 2

Ben was studying hard. 

If he was to get into the University of San Francisco, then he desperately needed to get a good grade in this math class. Ben was fourteen. He had to have years of good grades to make it.

Ben was sure that his soulmate lived in San Francisco. Ben had started to do research on the places that his soulmate thought about after he had visited the city with his family. His soulmate thought about parks and landmarks a lot.

All the parks were in the area of San Francisco.

So, Ben was going to move there when he finished school. He was going to get into the biology department and major in botany. He was going to be near his soulmate, and then they would find each other.

_I wonder what that plant’s tea tastes like? Is it bitter or sour? Why doesn’t this book tell me!_

Ben hopes but doesn’t expect that his soulmate is also going to attend the same school he is. They seem to like botany or plants too. So maybe... But his soulmate has also been thinking about learning how to fly recently. So, Ben just hopes and tries his best.

-

Monty’s new roommate calls him Scott.

Monty doesn’t really like that. He thinks it’s too formal. But the man is on the communications track in Starfleet, so Monty is sure he will get used to it. It’s his last name. Everyone calls each other by their last names.

 _Mimi nimechoka sana. Lakini nina sura moja pekee imebaki halafu naweza kulala._ (I am so tired. But I only have one more chapter and then I can sleep.)

He still wonders what his soulmate is thinking. He knows she’s thinking in Swahili most often, but he still doesn’t know what many of the other languages are. His translator was a cheap translator and only did major languages. Not the strange ones his soulmate often thought in. And he gets distracted more often than not by whatever theory or machine he’s tinkering with.

“That’s cool! Your soulmate thinks in a different language.” Monty’s roommate said, examining Monty’s marks. His roommate, a tall, thin human from China, named Jin, leaned over Monty’s arm.

“Do you know what language they speak?” Jin asks Monty.

“I know that the main one is Swahili, but she thinks in many, so I don’t know them all,” Monty told him. “Sometimes it’s in German, or it’s in standard or a few others I recognize. A few times it’s been in Scotts Gaelic, which was cool because that’s my first language. Which if she speaks it, it means she learned it for me. But for the rest, it’s a guessing game.”

Jin nodded. “You should make a list to figure out what the rest of them are. Just copy some words or symbols down until you have a chance to get to a translator. I wish the universal translators worked with soul marks. That would make all of this so much easier.” He waved to his left arm, where his marks, written in a language that even Monty had never seen before, was scrawled in big loops and squares. “But they only work with spoken languages. So it’s a moot point.”

Monty looked down at his arm again and saw that it had changed. He smiled because he knew this language. Jin’s desk was covered in the language books that he was required to read for his intro to Klingon class.

 _yIlaD Suq neH vIneH. batlh Hutlh Dev_ (I just want to get this book done. The lead [character] has no honor)

Jin’s gasp of frustration when he struggled to read Monty’s arm was fun to listen to.

“Scotty! Why didn’t you tell me your soulmate is fluent in Klingon!”

Scotty.

Huh.

He liked it.

_-_

Jim had loved Tarsus IV, during that first year and a half.

Turns out that Frank’s sister who was supposed to be ‘straighten Jim out’? When Jim showed up, and his aunt told him that she hated Frank too and was all too glad to get Jim out of a bad situation.

Three months after Jim arrived at Tarsus, his mother finally got off the ship and divorced Frank, leaving Frank penniless. Sam came home but then went off to college in England. Because he hadn’t found his soulmate yet and he was determined to do so. His mom, when she learned where Frank had sent Jim off too, had asked if he wanted to go back to earth.

Jim said no.

So, she went back to the Starfleet colony ship. And Jim had stayed on Tarsus.

He regretted that he said no so much when the crops failed because of the fungus.

But for the first two years, Jim loved Tarsus iv. He made friends who were just as smart as was. Tom Leighton was a bright boy just a year or so younger than Jim himself. The mischief they got into was epic and they never really got the punishments that he got back at home on earth with Frank.

He also started to babysit for the Riley’s. They had a two-year-old boy who was getting into as much trouble that Jim had done when he was Kevin’s age. The Riley’s were on Tarsus iv to start over, both being orphans they were starting anew with their first child.

Jim loved Kevin. So he was happy they chose Tarsus to start a family.

In all, Jim was challenged for the first time educationally since his mom had left with Starfleet. He was surrounded by people who loved him, and he was happy and content. Even his soulmate was happy. Or as happy as a Vulcan can be.

Hiroshi Saito told him that his soulmate was happy. She could read Vulcan. Hiroshi translated his arm for him when he asked. She tried to help him learn more than just the basic phrases, but it was slow going. Jim was smart, but Vulcan was super involved. And he just couldn’t wrap his tongue around it.

She also told him of her life and the first deep space expedition that Starfleet ever undertook. Hiroshi’s tales took over his imagination, and for the first time, Jim could understand why his mother had, when she didn’t think anyone could see her, looked relieved when Starfleet had ordered her back to space.

Until the first crops failed, thanks to a fungus that had been introduced by accident by a passing trader, Tarsus had been the best place for Jim to be.  

Then, three weeks later, the rest of the harvest had either failed or had rotten after they had been harvested.

Nothing of the year's crop could be saved. 

The colony's governor, Kodos said that Starfleet was called. Starfleet didn’t have a ship in the solar system nor would they for the next three months. But they were going to come as soon as they could.

Kodos said they didn’t have the supplies to do that. A colony of eight thousand was going to starve because they didn’t have three months of supplies.

Hiroshi had pulled Jim’s aunt aside and told her that didn’t make sense. The colony should have enough for everyone for at least that long. The rationing might have been stringent and portions small, but they should have lasted. Jim wasn’t supposed to overhear, but he did.

 _Ra_ _has kum-tor ish-veh set'ko?_ (what has caught your interest?)

The list went out less than a day after Jim overhead the conversation with Hiroshi. The peacekeepers who read out the lists said that those on the list must report to the town square. No other reasons were given. Jim and his Aunt were on the list. So were the Riley’s but not Kevin. Just his parents. Hiroshi Saito wasn’t on the list.

Jim had gone to the Riley’s to babysit while they were gone. His aunt told him that she would tell home what happened and if they got food, she would bring it back. But he was seen by one of the peacekeepers and was told that he had to go too.

So, as he carried Kevin around, looking for this aunt and the four-year old’s parents, he saw Tom and a few kids his age and younger standing in the crowd. An upset-looking Hiroshi stood next to them.

“What’s going on?” Jim asked as he walked up to them, still carrying Kevin. Something was giving him an odd feeling. He tightens his grip on the boy.

“I don’t know,” Tom said. He was looking around for his parents. “I haven’t seen my mom since Hiroshi pulled me out of the crowd.”

Hiroshi quieted them. “I think something is going on.” She whispered to them. “When I say run. Run. Don’t look back and get to the caves. Stay there until you think it’s safe to leave. I don’t know where that will be.” She looked around. “I think almost half the colony is here. What is going on?”

Jim readjusted Kevin. He didn’t know either but looking around the group he realized that he was the oldest other than Hiroshi. He would have to do his best.

The governor appeared at the front of the crowd with a padd in his hands. He read the words that would be forever trapped in Jim’s memory.

“The revolution is successful. But survival depends on drastic measures. Your continued existence represents a threat to the well-being of society. Your lives mean slow deaths to the more valued members of the colony. Therefore, I have no alternates but to sentence you to death." he looked up from the padd he was reading from and looked right out to the crowd. Jim could have sworn that Kodos looked right at him. "Your execution is so ordered, signed Kodos, Governor of Tarsus iv.”

“Run,” Hiroshi said, stepping in front of them as the phasors when off. “Run!”

Jim, holding Kevin, moved. Tom Leighton behind him. Twelve others followed. Of the fifteen of them. Nine had been told to be there. Nine had been on the kill list.

-

_I’m so hungry. But they need it more. What we really need is water._

It had been four days since his soulmate had seen something violent on whatever planet they were on, Spock knew. And as far as he could tell, they hadn’t eaten since then. Spock was sure his soulmate was in charge of several others. They had eaten. His soulmate had made sure of that. They had been laughing at them and thinking of himself as the ‘momma’ of the group.

Spock really did not understand what his soulmate meant by that statement, but he saw that they were trying to keep a positive attitude in the face of intense adversity.

Spock had informed his father when his arm had read, _Oh my God. They killed everyone. My aunt. Kev’s parents. Hiroshi. Everyone. We need to RUN._

But without knowledge of where his soulmate was, he nor his father could do anything. It frustrated Spock. His father looked as if he understood Spock’s frustration and told him that he would keep an eye out for huge news as of this.

Spock didn’t know how to find food on whatever planet that his soulmate resided on, but he knew how to find clean water in almost any environment. Being from Vulcan, a desert planet, finding water was an important part of surviving. So, he pushed that thought to his soulmate. 

Hoping since his soulmate survived wrecking a vehicle that they would be able to get his thoughts again. Or at least see that he is thinking of finding water and maybe that would help.

Spock also thinks of the stars when he’s not thinking of survival techniques. His soulmate might just need someone to comfort him. Not that Spock, as a Vulcan, thinks he is great at comforting, but he tries.

His soulmate was always thinking about space. They would be amazing traveling among the stars.

He thinks about his studies for the VSA. He thinks about his contacts with a Starfleet recruiter. He thinks about all the things he wishes he could do.

He is the top of his class. When he takes the application tests next year for the Vulcan Science Academy, he knows he will pass. He knows that he is a great deal smarter than most of his classmates. Most of his childhood bullies are much lower than him in the class rankings. He will make it into the VSA. Of that, he has no doubt.

A part of him though stares at the stars and wonders. Wonders what it up there. What experiences might he see? A Starfleet recruiter always comes to the Vulcan schools every year. Every year the recruiter does not receive much interest beyond mild curiosity, but Spock talked to him when he came.

He liked the posters the man brought with him. Promising all sorts of things, illogical or not. The advertisements ask if he is willing to travel. Ask if he wants to see the stars, to see new worlds, to meet new people, to expand his horizons in new and exciting ways.

Something about those posters calls to him like the stars call to him. He wanted to see the concept of IDIC in practice.

He wanted.

He wanted his soulmate.

He wanted to see the stars.

He was going to get into the VSA. But having a backup would be a good thing.

_Thanks for the tip about finding clean water. It’s a real life savior. Thanks for trying to distract me too._

_The stars are always calling me too._

-

Jim was pretty sure he was going to die.

He was also sure that his kids weren’t going to die. Even if it meant that he was going to die to do it.

In the month and a half since Hiroshi sacrificed herself so that his kids could live, they had all lost weight. He stood at the mouth of the cave they were in for a few days. It was his watch. He would wake Tom and one of the others up in an hour or so, but for now, he waited and watched.

They still had a month to wait for Starfleet.

A month left to survive.

Kodos ruled with an iron fist, but he created pockets of rebellion in his wake. While some of the four thousand colonists were just following whatever he said to make sure Kodos doesn’t kill them too; some of the colonists were planning rebellion. Those people helped Jim get food. Water was harder, but food for fifteen people was hard enough.

He had a former teacher of his making sure he got something to eat. He had a baker and a farmer who gave him some food whenever they could. He got enough for his kids to survive. He had fifteen people to worry about.

Jim was profoundly grateful for his soulmate. The Vulcan was constantly thinking about how to find water in the desert and other (sometimes helpful, sometimes not) survival techniques. And they were trying to think mostly in standard, not Vulcan. 

His soulmate also talked about the stars a lot. When Jim was alone, and the kids were asleep, and Tom was on the other watch, despite his injury, Jim stared up at the night sky and watched the stars. 

He paid attention to the burning in his arm. That's when he knew when his soulmate had sent him some new information. 

Jim would look at the stars and know that he needed to be out there, in the black. Being land based was always a problem for him. He just wasn’t good with his feet on the ground. He was starting to think that his soulmate was the same way.

Jim pushed the thought away. He had to survive. For the kids, anyway.

He had no choice. 

Kevin was the youngest at four. Jim didn’t feel much older sometimes at fourteen. But he was the oldest. 

He hadn’t lost anyone. Tom came close though. 

As they were running, Kodos noticed them and had shot at them with a phasor. The only Tom was hit. His face as burned badly and Jim didn’t honestly think that he will keep his eye if they survived.

When they survived.

Jim didn’t know what to do after the first few days and Tom’s fever getting higher and higher. Luckily Jim’s soulmate thought about treating phasor wounds with limited medical vegetation available.

It had worked.

If one of them got shot now though, it probably won’t. In the nearly two months since they saw all their friends and family get killed the fungus got to most of the native plants. Not all, but most.  Jim and the two other oldest one’s could identify the fungus from forty feet now, but the plants were few and far between.

“Jim?” a small voice behind Jim asked. “Can I sit with you?”

Kevin walked out holding one of the blankets that they had stolen during a food raid.

“’Course, little man, what’s up?” Jim asked holding his arms open. Kevin slipped right in and tucked himself in with his blanket.

“I couldn’t sleep. Kept seeing momma and da.” Kevin said. Jim tightened his grip on Kevin. While he had been running for his life, Kevin was looking behind him. Kevin saw more the massacre than Jim did. He had seen his parents die.

Jim was doing his best to help with the nightmares.

It didn’t always work. Hence the occasional night watch with a partner. 

“If we’re gonna live who will take care of me?” Kevin asked he pressed his face into Jim’s side, the question barely there.

“I don’t know Kev. If they can’t find anyone, then I’ll do it.” Jim said.  He was sure Kevin had someone on the outside of this hell hole. They all did. But if he didn’t then… he was Jim’s. He was one of Jim’s kids, and Jim was going to take care of them.

 _Yel-Halitra dungi nam-tor tra' ak. Aishan stay alive. du'll nam-tor k' wuh yel ak_ (Starfleet will be there soon. just stay alive. you'll be with the stars soon.)

When Jim woke up the next morning, it was an explosion. In the colony’s square. He tells his kids to stay where they are and to defend themselves if necessary. He would scout and return.

What Jim finds makes him start to cry.

The town square is filled with debris and parts of the governor’s mansion. And _Starfleet_ officers in red and gold were everywhere. There were some blue looking at survivors and helping the injured.

Jim gets seen by one of the people who had been contributing to feeding him and his kids.

“JIM!” the man who had been his teacher shouts, catching the attention of a red-clad Starfleet woman. “Oh, thank god you are alright. Where are your kids? Starfleet is here! Kodos is dead! We are saved!”

Jim liked his former teacher, and he really wants the information he was given, but he didn’t pay attention to him because…

“Mom?” Jim says in a tiny voice.

It’s the first time he’s actually seen her in about a year. The vids and comms had gone down time to time, and she was in a star system that was too far away for live feeds.  The first time he had seen her in person since she left when he was eight. She looked older, but she was also crying.

“Jimmy! Oh, thank god Jimmy! I was so worried.” She told him, reaching out to hug him uncomfortably tight. Jim didn’t care. He was hugging back just as hard.

“My kids!” he remembered, pulling back from the embrace slightly. “Mom, I need some of you to come with me to get my kids. I have fourteen total. They are in a cave southwest of here. We needed to hurry. Tom’s getting worse every day!”

Jim’s mom took a deep breath and went from being just a worried mother to concerned but competent Starfleet officer. “Well then come on. We’ll get your kids.”

-

After the shuttle accident, Nyota’s parents settled down. They actually didn’t leave earth again.

Nyota was all right with that at first. She was fine being kept grounded. It gave her more time to learn more languages. And go to school. She had been homeschooled for most of her childhood. They had been traveling so often. But now, Nyota had to sit in a classroom and study with people her age.

She was far ahead of them in almost everything. From math to languages to history. The only thing she had been about average on was science. She understood it, but it didn’t hold her interest. It wasn’t about people communicating.

Nyota had spoken close thirteen different languages by the time she started school at 13. Now at nearly sixteen, she spoke closer to twenty.

And she was getting tired of being grounded.

Nyota had a plan.

She was going to go to the University of Cape Town and get a degree in linguistics or communications. Her mother had a communication degree from there, and her parents wanted her to go. So, she would.

But after that, Nyota had a different idea about what to do with her life than what her parents wanted. 

The stars were calling.

Or at least Starfleet was calling. Literally. Her mastery of languages, a few comparative essays and something that might have been a thesis (not that she would admit that) had gotten her several awards and the attention of Starfleet’s recruiters. They needed a linguist of her skills.

And she was interested in Starfleet. She wasn’t meant to be grounded. She had grown up in space. It was a place she was comfortable in. It was a place she missed.

Plus, her soulmate was already there. Out in space. Their thoughts were clear as a bell sometimes.

 _ma tha_ _sinn a 'putadh na h-einnseanan sam bith nas cruaidhe an uair sin bidh sinn a bhith na dhuilgheadas mòr! Dlùth eitein a 'ciallachadh nach' eil a 'gabhail a-seòrsa putadh! Chan eil fiù 's an fheadhainn Starfleet!_ (if we push the engines any harder then we will have a major problem! engines aren't meant to take that type of pushing! not even Starfleet engines!)

Her soulmate was up with Starfleet. Nyota did acknowledge that Starfleet was huge, and it was unlikely that her soulmate was going to be stationed anywhere near where she was but Nyota didn’t care.

Starfleet promised many things. A good reason to speak so many languages. A way to help people communicate. More challenges to her linguistic abilities.  A way to be out in the black. To be out in space. A chance to meet her soulmate.

But she had promised her parents that she would go to university first.

She’s taking the exit exams for her high school in a week. Then it's straight on to the University of Cape Town. After getting a degree there then she would apply to Starfleet.

She would be several years older them most of the cadets, but she really didn’t care.

Nyota Uhura had a plan, and she was going to stick with it.

-

Hikaru was sure he had never felt so alive as he did right at that moment.

He was flying.

He was the one doing the flying!

He had gotten into a competitive training camp meant for high schoolers who were interested in Starfleet. He had come to the camp thinking that he would join Starfleet on the science track. That he would get a degree in xeno-botany.

But they all had to do the flight simulators. It was a requirement of every Starfleet officer to at least be able to land a shuttle.

Hikaru didn’t know that simulator would change his life.

That simulator has sparked something in him that only fencing had done before. A thirst for more that he needed to follow. So, when he got home from that camp, he begged his parents to let him learn how to fly. They agreed to a few lessons and no more.

This lesson was the first lesson he had in the air. The first where he was the one flying the shuttle. Hikaru felt overjoyed. He felt secure. He felt wonderful.

Hikaru knew that when he joined Starfleet, he needed to be a helmsman. He needed to fly anything and everything.

He would still get the degree in xeno-botany, but he needed the helmsman qualification. Something in him needed that qualification He would get it.

He would fly in space.

_I wonder what this flower would look like if it’s been crossbreed with that flower? I think it would be brighter at least. They should be compatible._

-

Jim holds Kevin tighter as he ran. He could hear the screaming from behind him, and he just needs to move faster and faster to keep them from being caught by Kodos' peacekeepers....

And Jim woke up.

He’s safe. He’s safe at home. He’s safe at home with Kevin sleeping next to him on the bed. He hadn’t woken up despite Jim’s thrashing.  

Jim looks down at the small boy who is still sleeping next to him despite being safe at home for the nearly a year. Jim can’t blame him. Jim is still walking up to nightmares once a week.

Kev’s five and Jim’s the only father he’s had. Or older brother. Jim really doesn’t know nor care. Kev’s five, and he’s Jim’s world. Kevin didn’t have any extended family, and when the Starfleet councilors said that Kevin was going to go to foster care and orphanages, Jim stated that Kevin was staying with him and his mother and that was that.

His mother agreed. Jim remembered that Kevin’s parents were orphans and were determined not to let Kevin grow up in the system. He promised the Riley's that he won't let them down.

Winona fought Starfleet to keep Kevin with Jim. She won. It took her six months, but she won.

Sam came home when Jim, Kevin, and his mother reached earth. 

Sam was close to graduating, and he still hadn't met his soulmate. Then he ran into her while they were at the courthouse waiting for the official paperwork to keep Kevin with them. The yelp he let out made Jim laugh for the first time since Starfleet landed on Tarsus. 

 Sam stayed until he had to go back to school. His mom stayed another three months, but then she left. Another Starfleet ship needed help.

Jim could see that being dirtside for so long after being in space for even longer was making his mother twitchy. Agitated. Unsettled. Jim could understand. He told her to go back where she belonged. 

Once both Sam and his mom left, Jim was left alone with Kevin to recover

And he was recovering. Kevin needed him to be stable, so he was.

Jim was now fifteen. He had gone back to school a month ago.

The classes that had felt small three years ago, before he ran the car off the cliff, felt even less now that he’s seen the universe both the highs and lows.

He had a lot of acquaintances but not any real friends. The kids he had been friends with before he drove the car off a cliff didn't know how to talk to him. 

He didn't know how to talk to them. 

He also isn’t challenged academically like he was on Tarsus.

The classes were too slow. The content not advanced enough. Jim was bored.

At least Jim’s soulmate wasn’t bored.

On the few times that he had looked at his arm and had seen it was in Vulcan instead of standard and had bothered to translate the swirls and lines, Jim had gotten a bunch of science theory’s and postulates and the occasional theoretical physics problem.

Jim’s soulmate had been doing a lot of studying. Like they were prepping for a test. He kind of hoped that his soulmate was trying for the VSA. Even the people of Riverside in Iowa had heard of the infamous Vulcan Science Academy.

Jim didn’t know for sure, but with the amount of studying his soulmate had been doing in the past year, he hoped that was the goal his soulmate was shooting for.

Jim wished him luck. Not that he thought Vulcans believed in luck.

 _Kunli_ _nam-tor riolozhikaik. T'nash-veh sha' kup'es dungi nam-tor hiyet_ (luck is illogical. My own abilities will be enough.)

A little later.

 _Ha-tor wu heh smusma. Du dungi gla-tor me navau heh du dungi fai-tor ik du had nothing tor k' ish-veh heh ish-veh dungi yontau du. Du ma pakik ish-veh ni puvutau 'buhfik kashek.' du did ri mazhiv-kur-tor nash veh wuh pavesh tor gluvaya du wuh kup'es nash veh has. Nash nam-tor ish-veh lafosh tor. Heh du ma tor ish-veh. Du dungi ha-tor wu. Du dungi smusma. Du dungi regret having pakik wuh ulef-kosh-ves ik nam-tor nash veh._ _Fuck you. And to quote my ‘disadvantaged’ mother at her angriest. ‘and the horse your road in on.’_ (live long and prosper. you will see me succeed and you will know that you had nothing to do with it and it will burn you. you have lost your so called 'best mind.' you did not give this one chance to show you the abilities this one has. this is your mistake to make. and you have made it. you will live long. you will prosper. you will regret having lost the half-breed that is this one.)

-

Spock stood to the side of the council’s chambers with three others. He was waiting for the admissions decision. He had seen three others face the choice. Two had been granted admission to the Vulcan Science Academy. One, Stronn, had failed. Spock showed no signs of the triumph he felt for a moment upon hearing that decision.

His father stood silently on the council. Spock was very much aware of his father. He was also aware of his mother’s presence in the antechamber waiting for the results. He will have a proud mother no matter what, but Spock thinks he will have a proud father if he is accepted. Even if that pride is never expressed.

As he waits, Spock spares a thought for Starfleet and the acceptance letter he has on his personal padd in his room. The stars still call to him like no other, but the Vulcan Science Academy was where he belonged. He was sure of it.

“Shi’n T’gai Spock, son of the House of Surak.”

Spock moved to the center of the floor. He was the last to be called for a decision.

_I know you will make it, soulmate. You’ll do great._

He is granted admission to the VSA.

Despite his ‘disadvantage.'

“To what disadvantage are you referring too?” Spock asks the head minister of the council.

“Your human mother.”

Spock takes a silent, near impossible to see breath. He glances at his father. Spock could see his father stiffen ever slightly at the insult against his mother. His human mother. His disadvantage.

No.

Fuck no.

…. To quote his soulmate.

“Ministers, councilors, I must decline.”

The Head Minister looks down at Spock, “No Vulcan has turned down admission to this academy.” He sounds as shocked at a Vulcan can sound.

“Then as I am half human then your reputation remains unsullied,” Spock said calmly.

Sarek looked like he wanted to interrupt Spock and the force of his disapproval over their faint family bond was strong. But Spock knew that Sarek was not angry at him. He was supposed of course. This was not what he and Spock planned, but he was not angry. At least not at Spock. He was furious at the Head Minster.

Spock could feel it.

Spock was a very powerful telepath.

Spock was also furious. And for once he was also feeling spiteful. Spock would succeed despite his ‘disadvantage.' He would show them that he was not bound by their xenoracism. Spock was the best the Vulcan Science Academy ever had when it came to entrance test scores. His records were near flawless, and he was one of the strongest telepaths that had come from his generation. They would come to regret this.

But none of that showed on his face.

“Why did you come before the council today? Was it to satisfy your emotional need to rebel?” the Head Minster asked.

Spock turned his attention back to the Head Minster. He did not miss his father near filching, just a twitch of one of his eyebrows, at the Minister’s words. Sarek seemed to know those questions would only drive Spock farther away from the Vulcan Science Academy.

“The only emotion I wish to convey is gratitude. Thank you, Ministers, for your consideration. Live long and Prosper.” Spock did not find a need to voice the ‘fuck you’ he thought. He could feel his arm burn. Spock knew that his soulmate had just sent him a thought. He did not wait for a dismissal from the council. He turned on his heel and walked out of the chamber.

His mother was there waiting for him and his father. Spock almost did not stop when he came even to her. Amanda was looking around for Sarek. They, if all things had gone according to plan, were supposed to leave the council’s chamber together.

But Spock was alone.

“Spock, what happened?” Amanda asked. She was looking very curiously at him.

Spock refused to respond, just pulled up the sleeve of his left arm to see what his soulmate had sent to him. It was the first time that his soulmate had indicated that they knew Spock was a Vulcan.

_Whoever made you, a Vulcan, think that, must have been a giant ass hat. Good on you for telling them off._

“Spock.” His father said from behind him and his mother. Spock felt his body stiffen up and looked away from his arm to his father’s face.

“Yes, father?” he said. Spock was unsure of what might happen next. He had only rarely spoken about his attempts to join Starfleet. If Spock was not going to be attending the Vulcan Science Academy, then Starfleet was where Spock would be attending instead. He was unsure of his father’s feelings toward Starfleet. He wondered if his father would disown him for rejecting the academy’s offer so publicly.

“I believe you have made a correct choice.”

Spock did not expect that.

“I was unaware that the councilors considered you to be at a disadvantage. While you have made a commitment to honor the Vulcan way, Starfleet may be better suited for your growth as a Vulcan and as a scientist. The Vulcan Science Academy was once a place of tolerance. Of infinite diversity in infinite combinations. Now it seems Starfleet is a better option.”  Sarek continued. He stared right at Spock, ignoring the other councilors and VSA applicants, both accepted and denied, as they left the room and passed by Spock and his family. The other ministers were still in earshot of their conversation. They could hear the slight Sarek had said against their logic and their acceptance.

Spock was sure his choice in Starfleet was a correct one. His choice honor to his father’s people was a definite decision.

He watched his mother realize what was going on. She construed the conversation that happened in the councilor’s chambers without any help from her son or husband.

Amanda’s eyes went angry for just a small moment then became sad. “When does Starfleet start classes, Spock?” She asked lightly, knowing that Spock had already been accepted.

“One standard month, Mother.”

“well, then I have a lot to teach you before then.” She said.

-

Scotty spent most of his free time in engineering whenever he was on a ship. He may have worked there, but he also spent most of his off shifts there too.

At first, it was to get all the necessary qualifications needed by new engineering ensigns. But now it was a habit. He stood looking at the near empty compartments. It was late in the Gamma Shift, and even Scotty should be sleeping. But he got caught up in the calculations for his newest equations that he totally missed the changing of shifts.

Scotty loved the engine rooms. The noise and the smell. It was a calm place to Scotty; even though he knew that most people wouldn’t agree with him.

His supervisor, the Assistant Chief Engineering Officer, ignored him as much as possible. It turned out that Scotty’s senior thesis about warp six from impulse power with several new power resources and the engines that could survive that type of stress was getting some traction at Starfleet Headquarter Engineering. And his Supervisor didn’t like that, they were jealous.

So, Scotty was ignored. 

Scotty hated politics.

He hated that he had to deal with that. He just wanted to work with engines and create new theories. He was working on a couple of transporter theories now. The one that showed the most promise was about transporting from one planet to another. He had requested more shifts with the transporter chief.

Scotty’s attention was taken from his equations when he caught a glimpse of another change in his soulmate’s thoughts.  He pulled up his sleeve to see …. Japanese? Yes. That was Japanese.

私は本当に元の言語でこの本が大好きです。 物語は翻訳で何かを失う。 (I really love this book in its original language. the story loses something in translation)

Scotty reached over to his padd and opened up a saved page. It had a list of languages that he knew his soulmate thought in. It also has a listing if examples of words that his soulmate thought in but he wasn’t sure what language they were.

His first-year roommate’s idea to write down the languages she thought in was a good one, and it kept Scotty busy sometimes. He might not have been able to read what his soulmate thought, but at least he knew what language she was thinking in.

By now, Scotty had found out that his soulmate was a little weird. Most people who spoke different languages only really thought of the very first one they learned as a child, their mother tounges. People also used interjections and phrases from other languages interspersed when their first language wasn’t enough.

Scotty was rather sure he thought in Scotts Gaelic. That’s the language his mother speaks, and he grew up speaking that more than standard.

But his soulmate thought in about 20 different languages so far. Swahili was the most common but when his soulmate thought in a different language it was often with complete immersion.

Scotty didn’t understand, but he didn’t mind.

But Scotty liked that.

He hoped that when they finally met, she wouldn’t mind his near obsession with engineering and design theory. 

-

The day Joanna was born was the happiest Leonard McCoy had ever been. Even happier than his wedding day. Happier than the day he got his marks. Happier than the day he graduated from medical school.

She was perfect.

Seven pounds, nine ounces. A dusting of light brown hair. Deep blue eyes that will probably change but might not. Both Len and Joycelyn had blue eyes in their families, but really, Len didn’t care. She was his perfect daughter.

She also had words on her arm.

“Oh, she has marks! Congrats your daughter already has a soulmate.” The nurse who was cleaning his beautiful baby girl up said when she noticed. None of them had seen the tiny black letters on his daughter's left arm yet.

“What,” Joycelyn said. She was barely awake after the birth. But she struggles up for this. “What do you mean she already has a soulmate? She’s not even an hour old?”

The nurse took Joanna over to Joycelyn and Len. On her left arm, they could read very faintly, in tiny letters. _I’m hungry. I hope he’s making breakfast! Why does my arm hurt?_

Joycelyn froze and took a deep breath. Clearing pushing something away internally. Len just smiled down at the tiny person who was part of him and had won his heart. She was beautiful. And her soulmate better be good if they know what’s best for them.

He wonders what kind of person is the other half of his baby’s soul. He wonders what kind of person his little girl will grow into.

He wonders, and he loves her. And he will love her no matter what.

“Do you want to hold her?” The nurse asks. Len nods and takes her. Joycelyn shakes her head but smiles at Len and Joanna.

“She’s got your hair and nose, Joyce. She’s beautiful just like you.” Len said, looking away from his daughter and smiling broadly at his wife.

“Well, she’s better than me already,” Joycelyn said still laughing at them. It’s a little forced, but Len thinks its exhaustion. He’s seen it in new mothers before and doesn’t blame her. She did just bring life, their daughter, in the world. “She’s got a soulmate.”

“I did tell you about the McCoy family tradition of age gaps. So, I’m not too concerned about it.” Len said. He readjusted his grip on his tiny baby girl.

“I’m not worried,” Joycelyn said, a little forced. She was frowning and trying to hide the yawn that did eventually escape her.

“Get some sleep, Joyce. You did a lot today. We’ll be here when you wake up.”

“Ok…” Joycelyn said as she nodded off.

Len looked at his baby girl and smiled.

This is the happiest day of his life.

 _Интересно, будут ли у меня когда-нибудь дети?_ (I wonder if I’ll have children someday?)

-

Pavel had made it into Starfleet Academy. He had the final acceptance letter in his pocket. He was standing in his empty dorm room. He made it.

He’s fourteen now. Pavel knows that he is the youngest one at Starfleet Academy. He knows this because everyone (and he means everyone!) seems to tell him that he’s the youngest person ever to make it into Starfleet Academy.

That his test scores were so impressive. That his youth wasn’t a bad thing. That Starfleet had a future for him. That he was going places.

Pavel doesn’t care. He’s going into space. He’s going to be among the stars. Where his soulmate can’t be. His soulmate was still afraid of flying. His soulmate had a daughter now, about year old if Pavel calculated right, and a marriage that was falling apart around his soulmates ears.

_Why is she yelling at my daughter? She barely looks at her! Why does she even come home most days? Jo’s only a year! Leave her alone!_

Pavel had a goal. He was going to reach for the stars. He was halfway there. All he had to do was be the best of his class. A little harder now that he was finally surrounded by people who were as smart as he was but none of them had the determination to go as far as he did when they were just fourteen. So, Pavel was sure he was going to be the best.

Because only the best get stationed on the flagship.

And there was a new flagship being built out in Iowa.

And Pavel wanted to be on it.

-

 _It's_ _colder than normal today! I hope it warms up! And clears up. Flying in this will be a pain._

Ben was freezing when he stepped out of the shuttle that had brought him from Los Angeles Interplanetary Airport (the only place on the west coast of the United States that Mars transport landed at) to San Francisco interplanetary airport. The air was so much colder in San Francisco then it was in Los Angeles.  And it was super foggy. Ben was sure he couldn’t see, but he just needed his hover taxi driver to be able to.

Everything was so much colder here on Earth then the climate controlled Mars colony.

Ben’s soulmate was just as cold as he was! Maybe that means Ben was in the right place. He was on the right planet. Ben was in the right country. He was in the right state. Maybe the right city. Maybe _not_ the right school though.

The University of San Francisco was a good school. He had been studying for years to get acceptance. When he did get his letter of acceptance, Ben and his older sister had danced around the room in joy. His older sister’s soulmate had gone to visit his parents on Andora, so it was just them two in the house. Ben had been thrilled. Not only did USF give him acceptance but the school of biology told him that there was an opening in their botany program.

There had been lots of screaming and dancing in the Miyota household that day.

So, Ben got all of his goals. He was going to be on earth! With his soulmate. Doing Botany!

But then he saw his soulmate’s thoughts.

They were also eighteen and trying to get into school, Ben had seen that before. But it was about that same time when he got the acceptance letter that the word _Starfleet_ had shown up for the first time.

Ben’s soulmate had been freaking out that he had gotten acceptance into Starfleet. That he had passed the admission tests and medical exam. His soulmate already had the grades.

Starfleet’s school year starts later then USF’s year. Ben had looked it up. They started nearly a month after USF.

But there was apparently early training for select programs. Like people in the command track or the security track.

And his soulmate was in one of the programs. Ben thinks he’s learning how to fly, but that would put his soulmate on the command track. Not the science track like Ben had thought. His soulmate also shared Ben’s love of botany. But not Terran botany like Ben preferred. Xeno-botany. He had discovered that when he was fifteen and his soulmate started thinking about how some plants might live on other planets.

Ben didn’t really care for other off world plants. He didn’t see many on the colony on Mars. The few he did, were dull and uninteresting. Ben was happy learning about Earth’s biodiversity. He didn’t need anything else.

But with a goal like Starfleet and an interest in flying, it looked like his soulmate did need more.

Ben didn’t mind. At least his soulmate didn’t mind traveling in space. Ben did want to see his mom and sister sometimes.

_Look its clearing up. We can totally fly today. I can’t wait to learn how to fly space-worthy shuttles._

-

She ended up getting a Master’s degree in linguistics and communication. She had only meant to get a bachelor’s degree, but Nyota breezed through the necessary required courses. She had taken most of the general education classes before she had graduated high school. All that was left was the major specific courses. Nyota didn’t find them hard at all.

When her professors asked if she was interested in the master’s program, Nyota didn’t say no. She was still going to graduate in the ordinary amount of time. Only two years older than most other Starfleet cadets.

She was ok with that.

Nyota met with the Starfleet recruiter just before her graduation rehearsal from the University of Cape Town. The officer told her that she had made it. Nyota’s admission scores and her prior degrees had guaranteed her a place in the communications track. The woman told her that her report date was in three months.

Nyota’s parents knew about the meeting. They weren’t happy about Starfleet they weren’t going to stop her. They would rather her stay on earth and be safe.

Nyota wasn’t about to stay dirtside if she could help it. Her destiny was in the stars. They called to her. Nyota wasn’t going to say no.

Starfleet academy’s semester started in three months. Nyota was going to be there. She had four years to become a linguist to Starfleet’s requirements then to a ship and out to see the stars, the universe and everything in-between. That was her goal.  

She hoped that her soulmate would be on that ship, but Nyota doesn’t expect. Starfleet is vast and varied. She figured she’ll meet her soulmate when it’s time.

 _Carson_ _a tha e cho fuar air seo godforsaken chreig?_ (why is it so cold on this godforsaken rock?)

Nyota also wonders why her soulmate is cold all the time now. A few weeks ago, they were excited to test out a new theory, and now they were just cold.

Nyota wonders what happened.

As of today, she would graduate, celebrate with her family, have a little break and then go to Starfleet.

Nyota hoped that Starfleet would be more challenging than the University of Cape Town was.

-

Scotty made one mistake.

Just one.

He was sure of it.

It might have been taking Admiral Archer’s dog. It might have been in his calculations. It might have been his theory for trans-planetary beaming. It might have been arguing with his former supervisor about his theories.

Scotty just had to find it. Locate the mistake. And fix it. And then he would be free from this icy hell of a Starfleet station. Maybe.

Delta Vega was just a relay station for Starfleet to talk to Vulcan. But despite its just a relay station, it needed two different engineers. It was an important position, and no one wanted to be stuck there. Being stationed here was officially an honor. Unofficially it was a punishment. It was cold, icy and hellish. The native species ate people and anything small enough to be seen. So very few people when outside.

But Scotty had messed up. And now he was trapped at the most backwoods, godforsaken, icy example of a rock he had ever seen. 

So, he thinks about his trans-planetary beaming theory. He tries to find Admiral Archer’s dog. He attempted to work on his trans-warp beaming theory, but the damned numbers keep getting stuck. He repairs the station as it needs.

At least Keenser, the only other person on Delta Vega, was a good guy. If a little quiet. Ok, very quiet. And had a climbing problem. The guy would just climb on everything! But he was fast and good with a wrench. Scotty appreciated that.

Scotty missed being able just to talk to someone. His soulmate spoke over 20 languages. It would make sense that Scotty would like to talk to people.

He still kept his list. Over the last year or so there had been less new languages than before. More technical readouts of what Scotty thought were long range satellite sensors and ship to ship communication results. He could kind of recognize those because he’s fixed them before. He’s seen them in classes and on ships. He’s sure his soulmate is in Starfleet.

That makes him happy. When he figures out how to fix what he did wrong. (it was Archer’s dog. It had to be.) Then he could find her, and they could be happy.

She’ll be on a ship. Scotty knows that. Starfleet isn’t stupid enough to keep someone with that many languages under her belt dirtside. And if he’s reading the results of the readouts correctly (and he might not be, communications are not his thing) then she’s also really skilled at that too.

He adds the readouts to the list because the results are a language all its own sometimes.

 _qup_ _yIv 'ej vI'Iprup HuvchoH nIS dialect. nuq jatlh 'e' nID speaker yaj neH Sumqu'_ (this dialect needs to be less annoying and clearer. I just need to understand what the speaker is trying to say.)

Something about his soulmate and her languages made Scotty feel less isolated. When he doesn’t have work to do, and his theories and math doesn’t work, he always has his soulmate and her languages. He can’t understand them still, but he’s identified more than he used to.

When he finds that dog, he’ll get out.

He’ll be back to a ship. Maybe if he’s lucky he’ll be with his soulmate.

-

The day Spock met Capitan Pike, Spock had just graduated from Starfleet Academy.

He is twenty-three standard years old, and he has degrees from both the command track and the science tracks. Most of his classmates don’t really know him. They, like his Vulcan peers, isolated him but Spock knew that this was not done out of malice like the Vulcan children. It was done out of fear, misunderstanding or respect of his culture. Mostly the first two options but some did respect his culture and did not try to create a friendship.

The physic climate he was surrounded with was challenging to say the least. Humans and the other species who populated Starfleet were often to free with their emotions and thoughts. He often would just have to raise his mental barriers and moved on.

Humans were loud with their thoughts and with their emotions. Spock had grown used to this over the four years he was at the academy. He focused on becoming used to the feelings of humans because he knew he would be stationed on a ship with them.

Spock had received his orders to report to Capitan Pike and Commander Robbins on the USS Lexington as a science lieutenant.

Commander Robbins, who preferred to be called by Pikes’ unofficial title for her: Number One, was almost as logical as many Vulcans. Other than her instance on using a ‘nickname,' Spock had enjoyed her presence. She was straight forward and rational. She had met him at the transporter when he arrived on the USS Lexington. Number One, who Spock realized after months of being on the ship, had never actually given him her first name, lead him to Capitan Pike’s officer in his quarters.

Capitan Pike, however, was different. Spock felt like he could come to trust him and respect him. But at the moment the man confused Spock.

“So, you are the infamous Vulcan?” Captain Pike says upon meeting him. Spock nods. He was still getting used to human’s way of speaking. Spock was the only Vulcan in Starfleet so he would be both infamous and famous. The description was unnecessary.

“Lieutenant, I’ll be honest. I don’t know where to put you. I see you have qualifications for both Command and Science. And within science, I see that you have multiple specializations. I have several openings in the labs, but I also need a gamma shift bridge officer. So, I’m giving you a choice,” Pike said, looking at Spock from his desk. The padd in his hand was filled with crew quotas.

“I have no preference in what you wish me to do,” Spock said in return. He would be able to anything that Capitan Pike would assign him to. He would be content no matter what he was assigned to do.

The Captain grinned. “How about both?”

“Sir?” Spock asked. He was not sure what Capitan Pike meant by that statement.

“You have qualifications for both command and science.” Spock did not understand then need to repeat something that was already stated. But to quote his Soulmate: _Humans are weird._ “So, you were apparently bored at the academy. I understand that it might not be challenging to just do one. Maybe it would be better to do both. So, I will put you on the gamma shift and in one of the labs. Would that work for you?”

Spock thought about that for a moment. He did struggle to stay sufficiently challenged at the academy at first. Spock had just applied to the science track when he decided to go to Starfleet. But once there he chose to join the command track as well. That had given him enough challenging work. He thinks that Captain Pike might understand him.

“Yes, I would find that acceptable. Which laboratory would have most need of me? I would be able to work in any of the ten science labs aboard this vessel.”

“I believe the astrophysics’ labs needs someone most right now.”

Spock ignores the burn in his arm. “I will report there after the conclusion of this meeting.”

_Wonder what’s got you all excited, soulmate? All I see are a ton of circles and lines and swirls. Hope you are having more fun than I am. Turns out college is boring._

_It's just like high school. I wanted a challenge damn it._

-

Leonard sighed as he walked up to his house. He stopped and took a moment to look up at the old southern style home.

It was probably one of the last times he would be able to do this.

He could hear Joanna laughing with the babysitter. Len smiled, ever since Joycelyn left six months ago, Joanna really hadn’t been laughing much. He had missed the sound of his three-year-old laughing. He wasn’t laughing much either though. It had been a long year. It had been an even longer six months.

The divorce was finalized today. Along with the custody case.

Joycelyn won almost everything. She was a lawyer who knew how to play the game (and prejudices) to win her cases.

But she didn’t win custody.

She won the house, she won the aircar, she won most of their joint savings. But even she couldn’t convince the judge to give her any custody of Joanna.

Len knew that was mostly his doing.

He felt only slightly guilty about it. 

Six months ago, when the strain that had been on their marriage had gotten to be too much, and Joycelyn packed her bags and left the house, it had been after months of fighting. The fighting was as much of Len’s fault as much as her’s. At first, they had tried to keep it quiet for the nearly two-year-old Joanna. But toward the end, they hadn’t.

So, she left. She told the judge that she left because she didn’t want to be in the same house as people with soulmates anymore. Len was furious that her daughter was a part of that. That Joucyclen had just pushed Joanna down to her soul marks and nothing more.

But he did understand Joycelyn’s reasoning. Or at least where it came from. She had never been comfortable with the idea of Len’s soulmate. She had never liked that his soulmate existed. Even when Len assured her that it was a platonic soul bond. When Joycelyn saw Joanna’s marks and knew that her child had a soulmate from birth and she didn’t…

Well, that was the end of the marriage. Len just didn’t know it yet.

When they had first gone to court, Joycelyn had proved her record of being an outstanding lawyer. She knew all the judges in the area and had known how to play every one of them.

They had gotten a judge that was very vocal about his stance on soulmates. That everyone who had them should be with them, in love/marriage or family bond. Len wondered what Joycelyn would do with that, but she proved yet again that she was a damned good lawyer.

She told the judge that she was tired of being afraid of Len meeting his soulmate and leaving her. Playing up her fears that he would just leave her for a newer, younger person.  She said all sorts of things that Len couldn’t disprove because Len had heard her talk about them all before. He thought they had gotten through most of them before they had Joanna! If this were the cause of all of their problems, then it would have been better to never have married in the first place.

The court had agreed with Joycelyn. Len should have known. Small town prejudices never really die.

Then the court had gotten to the custody of Joanna.

Joycelyn, who hadn’t seen Joanna or called her in the six months since she had left, wanted full custody. Len, who was raising his daughter as a single father for six months, wanted primary custody. He was hoping that she would be willing to share custody with him being the primary live-in parent.

Joycelyn wasn’t.

That started the worse arguments Len has ever participated in. And it was all on the record because it took place in court. They both said some vile things to each other. Neither gave ground.

He had won in the end. When he finally got angry enough and spat out that Joycelyn would be an unfit mother because she resented her daughter’s own soul marks, that had ended the arguments. Len had won. Leonard would never forget the look Joycelyn gave him after he said that. It was part hurt, part fury and part honest relief.

The judge agreed with Len that afternoon.

So now he and Joanna would have to find some other place to live because Joycelyn got the house. And he needed to find a new job too. There was no way he was staying in this town after what Joycelyn had put him through. Most of the town sided with her in the divorce. He was losing patients. His coworkers were just being polite to his face and were dragging him through the mud behind his back. He was almost ostracized by his hometown. Jocelyn had taken almost everything from him.

Len didn’t know where he was going to go with Joanna, but he knows he won’t stay here.

“Dada!” Joanna cries out when he walks through the door. “Dada’s home!”

“Hiya, JoJo,” Len says. He reached out and picked her up from where she had run to hug his legs. “Where you good for Mrs. Martinez?” he asked.

Mrs. Martinez was his childhood best friend’s mother. Evan had met his soulmate when they were twenty and had run off with him to a space colony on Praxis. 

Evan had found out about the divorce and sent his mother to help. Evan’s parents were basically the only two people in town who sided with Len in the divorce.

Len was starting to hate small towns. Especially small towns in Georgia where everyone knew everyone and rumors could make or break a person.

“She did very well. She did all of her lessons. Her soulmate is thinking about food, and that made her hungry for a while, but it’s all good now.” Mrs. Martinez said. The old woman smiled at Joanna, who was hugging her father tightly.

“I’m glad,” Len said as walked deeper into the house. “The judge made his choice today.”

“Oh. That is what you expected. Was it in your favor?’

Len sighed. “I’m keeping Joanna. So, I’m thrilled about that. But she got everything else but my medical license. She got it all but Jo.” He sat down slowly on the couch in their den. Mrs. Martinez sat on a chair opposite of him. “Including the house and most of what’s in it.”

“How long until you have to leave?” She asked.

Len adjusted Joanna, who wanted to be put down on the floor. She immediately took off toward the art corner of the room and started to dig for something. “One week. Joycelyn will be back in a week. Joanna and I have to be out before then.”

Leonard sighed, he wanted a drink. “I don’t know where we’ll go. But I know it won’t be here.”

“Why not Starfleet?” Mrs. Martinez asked. She was watching Joanna as the child dug through the art supplies of the day.

Len started coughing. Starfleet?! What the hell is she talking about? He hates space and flying!

“Starfleet?” He asked when he could finally breathe again.

“Yes, Starfleet. Their medical program is looking for new recruits. My sister’s grandson just joined, and she told me.” Mrs. Martinez said.

Leonard wanted to immediately deny the idea but….

“Space is a danger. I don’t want Joanna in jeopardy.”

“You might get stationed on a planet or space station.”

“I might…,” Len trailed off. That small part of him, (who always looked at the stars and thought maybe, who looked at his arm and wondered who was on the other side) which he ignored as much as possible, was perking up. It was saying maybe. “I would have to think about it. I’m not sure yet.”

“Well, please tell me when you do. I want the best for you and Joanna.” Mrs. Martinez said as she got up and walked to the door. “I’ll let myself out. Don’t forget, you’ll always be welcome at our home for a while if you need more than a week, Leonard. Mike and I would love to have you stay for a while.”

Len sighed. He heard the front door shut and lock. He really needed that drink. But for Joanna, he wasn’t going to even touch alcohol. Because Len knows himself. Once he starts drinking to ease this pain, he won’t stop for a long while. So, he wasn’t going to even start.

“Dada, I found it!” Joanna called. She was waving a piece of paper with crayon on it. She ran to him. “Found it. Here it’s space! We saw stars in the books today!”

Len looked at the drawing. It was indeed of space.

Well then.

“Hey, JoJo? Wanna see if we can go to space?” he asked ignoring his fear. He hated space but if means that his daughter will be protected and they both have a roof over their heads….

Then he would do anything. Even fly.

 _Иногда во сне я вижу тебя и меня среди звезд (_ Sometimes when I dream I see you and me among the stars)

His soulmate liked space. Some of their thoughts were about equations for it.

Maybe he would too.

He’ll call the local Starfleet recruiter in the morning.

-

Kevin was at a friend’s house for most of the night. So, Jim was good to get a drink and have some fun at the Bar near the shipyard.

Jim was sure he didn’t know where the years had gone. One moment he was fifteen with a five-year-old, dealing with traumatic memories and a near eating disorder for both of them. Now he was twenty-two, has a thirteen-year-old, and had two associate degrees from dicking around at the local community college for the past several years.

The only reason he hasn’t left this tiny ass town is Kevin. His son needs a stable location to grow up in. The moment Kevin is out of high school, they were leaving. Kevin was very vocal about moving.  

They’ve been trying to decide where they wanted to go afterward. They haven’t decided anything other than they would be going together.

Kevin has thrown out Starfleet as an option, but Jim didn’t take it too seriously.

But Jim is lost in the meantime. He’s just waiting now. Stuck in a holding pattern. He works two jobs. Hates both. Jim doesn’t have many friends in town. The rumors during high school about Kevin and his own three-year absence weren’t pretty. Jim being smarter than most of the people in this town put together, also caused problems. Kevin is dealing with that bullshit too, but Kev’s always been better than Jim at ignoring the bullshit.

Jim hopes that Kev’s soulmate is just as cool headed.

Kev was well past his tenth birthday when the marks showed up as a bruise. The next few weeks were exciting as Kevin’s soulmate started to learn words and learned how to think.

Kevin told him that he was pretty sure that his soulmate was a girl and that she was lonely and hurt. Something about a divorce.

When Jim walks into the bar, it’s clear that Starfleet has let its cadets out to party. The place is crawling with them. Jim generally wouldn’t stick around but he really needs that drink, and he won’t take no for an answer. So, he watched the cadets in red.

He tried to imagine himself in the red uniform and kind of failed.

He felt his arm burn for a moment, and he pulled up his sleeve to see what his soul mate thought to him today.

 _Wuh yon-kur t' wuh yel-halitra ne-lan's uniform nam-tor ri u' harsh u' veh lau dva-tor._ (the red of the Starfleet cadet’s uniform is not as harsh as one might believe.)

Ah, so his soulmate caught his thoughts. They didn’t often talk anymore. It was a near daily thing when Jim had been recovering with Kevin. But they grew up, and things got lost because Jim still couldn’t read most of his soulmate’s thoughts. He still had to reach for a translator to understand. They never could send identifying thoughts to each other. But they could think at one another.

Jim snorted when he saw that ‘uniform’ was the only word not written in Vulcan. His soulmate did that sometimes. When the concept or idea wasn’t entirely expressible in Vulcan. Usually just words more than concepts. Occasionally when his soulmate forced a thought directly at him, it was just in standard. But that only happened rarely when he (or he suspected his soulmate) was in a large amount of emotional up reveal.

A female voice pulled his attention from his arm. She was ordering a lot of drinks for just one girl. Jim leaned forward to get a look at her. Jim thought she was hot as hell. She made the very severe red of the cadet uniform look good. Then she added on a shot at the end of her order, and Jim was just drunk enough to start flirting.

“Make that two. Her shot’s on me.”

She was going to just brush him off, that much was clear, but he might get lucky. And Jim loved to push his luck.

“Her shot’s on her.” The woman said. …. Or he might not be. “Thanks, but no thanks.”

He grabbed his beer and walked up to her. “Got a name? Or at least want to know mine before you just reject me?”

“I’m fine without yours’. It's Uhura and nothing else! And I can see your soul marks. So, don’t even try!” the woman said.

Jim flushed. He didn’t even release that he had left his sleeve rolled up on his left arm. The marks in Vulcan were clearly visible. They hadn’t burned so he knew that he was sure that they still read something about uniforms. “Well, maybe I want you to read it. You’re a cadet. Maybe you can tell me what that is?” he said. “Maybe I want to see how smart a cadet is?”

“I’m brilliant,” Uhura said. “Smart enough to ignore you.”

“Aww, come-on!” Jim wined. “What’s your focus?”

“Xeno-linguistics. Not that you would know what that is.” Uhura said. She finally faced him fully.

Jim just smiled. “The study of alien languages, phenology, morphology, and syntax.” He gestured toward his arm. “My soulmate’s Vulcan so I do have some knowledge.”

Uhura leaned in like she was impressed. “You know, for a moment there I thought you were just a dumb hick who only has sex with farm animals.”

Jim raised an eyebrow. “Well, not only.” He said. He leaned back to drop the flirting. He knew she wasn’t interested in him. But he was kind of hoping that she could translate his marks. He didn’t have a translator on him.

“Can you read this? I do want to know what it says.” He asked. “I don’t have a translator.”

Uhura gave him a considering look and then shook her head. “I don’t start Vulcan for another three months. I can’t read that.” She looked a little sad to not be able to help him. She glanced at her arm before looking back to Jim. Jim just grinned. Her soulmate probably doesn’t speak Standard.  

“No worries I’ll just wait until I get home.”

“Is this townie bothering you, Uhura?” A truly large man in cadet reds asked, interrupting the conversation. Before Uhura or Jim had a moment to respond the man turned to Jim and glared. “Back off townie.”

Uhura started to tell the man that he wasn’t needed, that she could take care of herself. But the taller man wasn’t backing down.

“We’re just having a conversation,” Jim said, raising his hands up to defend himself.

“Yeah right.” The man said and pushed Jim away from Uhura.

“I had it covered.” She started to say again. Her attitude was going from humoring the poor, drunk townie for fun to rather pissed off about the interruption.

Jim just felt like fighting. “Well whatever, cupcake,” Jim said pushing back at the man who pushed him.

Then Jim got hit in the face with a fist.

Well, Jim did say he felt like fighting.

The next few moment were rushed and filled Jim with a battle high he didn’t get to often anymore. He missed it.

When the whistle from the older man who wore a Starfleet Capitan’s uniform stopped the men fighting Jim, it was a long enough of a fight that Jim was in a lot of pain. But his arm didn’t hurt so at least his soulmate wasn’t paying attention at the moment. Jim didn’t need his Vulcan soulmate’s logical scolding. Even if Jim couldn’t read it.  

The cadets cleared out, and Jim saw Uhura with some of the others who didn’t take part of the fight. The man who Jim called Cupcake, was being yelled at by about fifteen people outside the doors of the bar.

“Are you Jim Kirk?” the Capitan asked, turning his head to get a better look at Jim. Jim, who was laying on a table from being thrown there just before the fight ended, giggled.

“You can whistle very loud,” Jim said. He was pretty sure he might have a concoction. It was hard to focus on the captain. “and yes. Yes, I am. Who’ou?”

“Chis Pike, Starfleet.” The man, Chris, said, reaching out to help Jim to his feet. They fixed the tables and chairs, and the bartender brought Jim some towels for his face. The man watched as Jim carefully attempted to fix his face and wrap his knuckles. Chris opened a padd up and was looking something up as Jim started to make his nose stop bleeding.

The bartender walked by with a drink that was strong enough to burn but not enough to get Jim anymore drunk.

“Why are you doing here? In Iowa.” Chris asked. He was still looking at the pad. “You have the scores to be somewhere, anywhere else.”

“Maybe I haven’t wanted to leave,” Jim said with the tone of someone who knows their lying but not admitting it.

“Your father would have wanted you to leave. You’re clearly unchallenged. You have your father’s abilities to lead. He did well on a starship.” Chris said, watching Jim with intent.

“And look where that got him.” Jim spat back. He never really liked being compared to his father. The whole town wanted to say that his dad would disappointed in what Jim had turned out to be. His mother thought it was bullshit and told Jim so. Kept saying that his father didn’t die so that they could deal with that bullshit.

But Jim still had to deal with the town’s disapproval. Kevin was so much better than Jim at ignoring it.

“Your dad didn’t believe in no-win scenarios. Something tells me you don’t either.”

“What does it matter what I believe?” Jim spat out.

“Because I think we need that. Your father saved a lot of people when he died. He saved you and your mother. I believe that you also have that core of strength.”

Jim just looked at the older man. Chris was just as calm as when he walked in. “What do you want from me?” Jim said after a moment. He wasn’t in the mood anymore to play games. He just wanted to be done.

“Enlist in Starfleet.”

“Enlist?!” Jim almost started to laugh. Enlist now and leave Kevin behind? Not happening.

If Kevin could come along then maybe.

Maybe.

“I think you have the potential in command.  Four years at the academy?   You could have your own ship in eight. I believe you have the – “Chris said.

“Are you done?” Jim interrupted. He was done.

“Yes, I’m done. But please think about it. There’s a shuttle leaving the shipyard at 0800 tomorrow. If you want to do something with your life, then be there. If you don’t then have a good life, Mr. Kirk.” With that, Chris Pike got up and left Jim alone in the bar.

He glanced down at his arm when it burned. It was still just in Vulcan. He still didn’t have a translator. Jim got up, paid his tab and got onto his bike. Kevin would be home soon.

 _nash-veh gla-tor ish-veh dvel, tal-kam veh, rai tukh ra du dvel-tor, nash-veh dungi nam-tor ish-veh_ (this one sees your choices, dear one, no matter what you choose, this one will be yours)

As he drove, Jim thought. He drove to a road that ended just before the shipyard started.

Jim would have been lying if he said he hadn’t thought about this ship. This ship would become the USS Enterprise. It would take a lucky crew of nearly five hundred people to the stars.

And Jim was always interested in the stars.

But he had Kevin to think about.

When he got home, Kevin was already in the kitchen, making food. Between the two of them and some help from the therapist in town (the only person in Riverside, Iowa to have an idea what Jim and Kevin had been though) they had managed to work through several eating problems. The comprise was whenever one of them was home alone, that person would eat and make enough for the other to eat.

As a reassurance that they had food and no one would take it away.

It worked, so Jim didn’t question it.

Kevin looked up when Jim walked in. Jim was still covered in blood from the fight. Keven just shook his head and looked for a fresh dish towel to help clean Jim off.

“What happened?” Kevin asked as he worked to clean Jim’s face.

“Got into a fight with some cadets,” Jim said then he started to described what happened with Chris Pike. “…And then he said enlist.” Jim finished.

Kevin was quiet. Then he stood up. “I’m going to pack.” He said, walking for the door.

“What?” Jim asked. He was still kind of dizzy from the fight. “Why are you packing?”

“Jim…” Kevin started. “You want to go. You’ve been looking at the stars since before we met. You didn’t stop because we got back to Earth. Even after everything. You didn’t end when you graduated. You need to be in space. That’s the fact that we both know. The stars are calling, and it's time you start calling back.”

Jim took that statement in. He was still settling on their tiny kitchen table. He glanced down at his arm. He didn’t need a translator to read and understand his soulmate. Just like Kevin didn’t need to be blood-related to him to understand Jim’s need to run to the stars and never look back.

 _Hal-tor_ (go.)

He looked back at Kevin. At Kevin’s arm, where a child’s thoughts asked if their _daddy would be ok now?_ Jim stood and hugged Kevin.

“Let’s go.”

The expression on Chris Pike’s face when Jim showed up on his motorbike with two duffle bags and Kevin on the back of it was priceless.

“Four years? I’ll do it in three.” Chris Pike’s face when Jim says that is self-satisfied.

-

Len is trying, rather desperately, to not have a panic attack in the bathroom of that little shuttle. He’s thrown up twice. Joanna needs him to calm down and deal. He just needed to ignore the fact that shuttle crashes rarely had survivors.

Len took a deep breath when a knock on the door interrupted him. “Sir? You need to get out. We are about to take off shortly.” Len doesn’t want to leave the bathroom. It's small and has no windows, but it prevents him from thinking about the fact he hates flying. The only reason he would leave this bathroom was Joanna. She needed to sit by him on the flight. He could protect her when the shuttle’s side rips open because of stress.

Len was going be okay. He was going to fine. He was going to be okay. His soulmate liked flying. Len could like flying. He could do this. It wasn’t as bad as yesterday’s flight into Riverside. This would be shorter. Slightly. Still! Not as long. Joanna will fall asleep, and he would be okay.

He opened the door, and the woman who knocked looked at him with almost sympathy. “Do you need help to your seat sir?” She asked.

“No,” Len said before pushing past her and trying to make it to his seat next to Joanna on his own. Only when he turned the corner, there wasn’t just Joanna next to his seat. There was a blond man, maybe in his early to mid-twenties who was sporting a shiner on his left eye that would make his momma weep, and next to him was a dark-haired boy, probably early teens if that. And they were talking to his little girl. Len made his way over to the group and was still trying not to panic.

He hated flying. At least Starfleet would be able to work with him on his fear before they sent him into space. The recruiter had assured him of that.

“Yes, daddy’s in the bathroom. He doesn’t like flying. I do!” Joanna’s voice was cheerful from where she faces the man and the near teen. That made Len look up. She was nearly laughing for the first time in weeks.

“Ah,” the man said, his face clearing from some emotion Len couldn’t make out to precisely. “Is that him?” he said pointing at Len.

Joanna turned and then smiled hugely at Len. Len felt a little better seeing her so calm.

“Daddy! You’re back!” she said before Len could sit down and then tried to get up to hug him. She was already strapped down into the jump seat, so she didn’t go far. The boy laughed a little at her attempts.

Len tried to glare at him, but his daughter was too adorable. He didn't miss how the boy was rubbing at his arm, his short sleeve tee-shirt showing off the boy's marks. Len's eyes narrowed, but the blond man distracted him. 

“So, you’re ‘Daddy?’” The man said. He had a flirtatious smile on his face, but Len could see he wasn’t serious. “You doing alright?”

“McCoy. Leonard McCoy. I hate flying.” He grunted as he sat down. He was calm. He was not going to panic. He was going to be okay.

“I think these things are pretty safe.”

“Don't pander to me, kid. One tiny crack in the hull and our blood boils in thirteen seconds. Solar flare might crop up, cook us in our seats. And wait till you're sitting pretty with a case of Andorian shingles. See if you're still so relaxed when your eyeballs are bleeding! Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence.”

So maybe Len wasn’t as calm as he wanted to be.

The man just laughed a little. “Jim Kirk. I hate to break it to you, but Starfleet operates in space.” He reached into the bag at his feet, and the boy next to him kicks him with a glare. “it’s not just for me, Kev! I think he needs it right now.”  Jim retrieved a small flask from the bag and gave it to Len.

Len eyed it dubiously. He really had been trying to stay off the drink for Joanna’s sake. But Len needs a shot of courage today. So, he takes it and has a swig. It burns on the way down. He notices some of the red uniformed cadets, the ones who looked like they had their asses handed to them, across from him and Jim was glaring at Jim. Jim didn’t seem to pay them any attention, so Len didn’t as well. Len handed the flask back to Jim before he had the chance to take another shot. He needed to be brave. Not drunk.

“What are you here for if you hate flying?” the boy, Kev? Asked Len.

Len sighed. “the Ex-wife took the planet in the divorce. Don’t have anywhere else to go. All’s I’ve’s got left is my bones. And my little girl, Joanna.” He gestures to the little girl who was now making faces at a dark-skinned woman who was sitting opposite her. The woman looked up briefly and saw Jim and came close to a glare and then turned her attention back to Joanna.

Jim must of have done something to piss everyone off. Len liked him. Par for the course.

Jim grins. “I know the feeling. This is my son, Kevin.”

“Jimmy! It's brother! We’re brothers. Stop calling me your son!” Kevin said, looking exasperated. Len couldn’t see any family resemblance at all. So, he assumed it wasn’t a blood relation not matter if they were father/son or brothers.

“Well Bones, I hope this is the start of a beautiful friendship,” Jim said, grinning at Len and Joanna,

“What do you mean ‘Bones’?!” Len growled before he could think about how the shuttle moved into the air.

"Hey, Daddy! Why do my marks hurt?" 

 _Летим со мной, давай улетим далеко-далеко, если ты хочешь выпить чего-нибудь экзотического, я знаю один бар в далёком Бомбее, летим со мной, мы улетим далеко-далеко._ (Come fly with me, we'll fly, we'll fly away, if you can use some exotic booze, there’s a bar in far Bombay, come on fly with me, we'll fly, we'll fly away)


	3. Chapter 3

Nyota had been looking forward to this class for months. It was one of the few Federation languages she hadn’t been able to learn or teach herself.

Introduction to Basic Vulcan.

She is one of about fifty people in the classroom, most of them communication track students. There were a few command and security track students in the room too.

Nyota was surprised that Jim Kirk wasn’t in the class. She knew from the first day they had met that his soulmate was Vulcan. He said that he couldn’t read it. So Nyota wondered why he wasn’t in the class ready to ace it as he had with every class he had sat in for the last three months.

She still wasn’t a fan of the man. Jim Kirk had a reputation for sleeping with everything that showed interest and consented. Nyota doubted that he did sleep with as many people that the rumors made him out to have. But it was the attitude that made her so angry. He was a prideful, arrogant man.

He only cared about five things. Three of them were people. McCoy, McCoy’s daughter and that kid, who Nyota wasn’t sure was his son or his younger brother. Kirk also cared about graduating in three years and become a captain. She hoped that wherever Kirk was stationed after graduation, she wasn’t anywhere near him.

She did give it to him, for the classes though. He tested out of a lot of lower level classes and then started to challenge a lot more. If he continues on his path the way he was, then he would graduate with Nyota, who was a year ahead of him officially.

She shook her head to dismiss Jim Kirk and his brand of insanity and pulled up her sleeve to read what her soulmate was thinking today.

 _ma_ _gheibh e sam bith fhuaire mi an uair sin nach bi corragan!_ (if it gets any colder then I won’t have fingers!)

Nyota wondered what her soulmate meant by that. She wondered where they were. They had been cold for over a year now. She had looked up the coldest bases Starfleet had, and there were several options. But none of them were looking for officers right now.

A part of her was relieved. Nyota wanted to serve on a starship. She wanted to serve on aboard the USS Enterprise. The ship that would be finished the year she graduated.

She just needed to be in the top fifteen percent of the class, and she would be golden. The crew compliant would be completed with graduates of her year and the year before.

“Rom asal, ne-lan. Nash veh nam-tor Lieutenant Commander S'hin T'gai Spock t' wuh kelek t' Surak t' Vuhlkansu. Nash dungi nam-tor ish-veh professor na' wuh mohrn, ragtaya tor nenik Vuhlkansu.” Came a voice from the door to the classroom exactly when the class was supposed to start.

As the man, A Vulcan Nyota noticed, walked down to the front of the class, he repeated himself in Standard. “Good morning, Cadets. I am Lieutenant S’hin T’gai Spock of the House of Surak of Vulcan. I will be your professor for the class, Introduction to Basic Vulcan.”

He reached the front of the class and put his briefcase on the desk. “Please refer to me as Professor or Lieutenant Commander Spock. My full family name is often unpronounceable to humans. Any attempts at this juncture would be ill-advised.”

Nyota could see that the man was not trying to make a joke, but the few chuckles that rang out were still a relief if Nyota read the minuscule expressions on the Vulcan’s face accurately.

She might not have. She hadn’t met a Vulcan before.

“Now, in my experience, most classes start off with what is called an ‘Icebreaker.' We will go around the room and introduce yourselves. But it will be in Vulcan. Please use the phrase ‘T’nash-veh ahm nam-tor--‘for your name. Then ‘Nash veh nam-tor ya’shakhuv’ for your age in standard. We will get to the counting system later. And ‘Heh nash veh tishau tor’ then an activity you like. Example: T’nash-veh ahm name-tor Spock. Nash-veh nam-tor ya’shakhuv twenty-five. Heh nesh veh tishau tor meditation. I have sent you a templet to your padds for you to look at when it is your turn.”

Nyota was sure that was a complicated phrase for most beginners, but if that’s where the professor thinks they should start then, that’s probably what’s best. She glanced at the templet that was sent to her padd. It was clear and concise on what to say. She could get this. The writing was in standard as to allow them to understand pronunciation but it was clear that they weren’t going to stay with standard lettering for long.

As she watched the people go around the room and attempt to pronounce Vulcan, Nyota also watched the Vulcan professor. He was good looking, that was easy enough to see. But he was also trying not to flinch at every atrocious pronunciation. It was a considerable effort, but he tired.

When it came to her turn, she said everything as clearly as she could. “T'nash-veh ahm nam-tor Nyota Uhura. Nash-veh tor ya'shakhuv twenty-one. Heh nash-veh tishau tor learns new languages.”

Professor Spock nodded approvingly at her pronunciation. “Excellent Cadet Uhura. How many languages do you speak?” He asked as he had asked every one of his student's something about their interest.

Nyota smiled. “I speak at least twenty. And I am working on more.”

For a brief moment, Professor Spock looked impressed before the expression straightened out to the blank face from before. “Interesting.” He said before moving on to the next student.

Nyota smiled even brighter.

Well, he was interesting too.

Maybe they could be friends.

Or maybe they could be more.

Either way, she needed to get to know Spock of Vulcan better.

-

When Spock returned to the Academy after spending three years in space under the command of Capitan Christopher Pike and Number One, he was not expecting much. He would fill his time with teaching, programming and a few experiments he wanted to complete that had to be worked in a planet bound laboratory.

He expected the wedding invite he received from his former command team shortly after the Lexington was decommissioned and they were sent to earth to await new assignments.

Capitan Pike and Number One apparently were hiding the fact they were soulmates for years so they could stay together, in command of their ship. Now that Number One had been given her own ship (and still refused to be called anything but Capitan Robbins or Number One) and Capitan Pike was going to captain the Enterprise when it was completed, they were planning on getting married as soon as Number One’s shakedown mission could be completed.

Spock had that he would attend. 

He wondered who of the crew had won the betting pool. Spock didn’t participate in the pool, but he did know the prizes were rather impressive for a crew that spent most of its time in space.

Spock was looking forward to seeing the human and Terran wedding rituals. His mother had spoken fondly of them despite never participating in them. Her marriage to Spock’s father was in the Vulcan tradition.

Being asked to be Capitan Pike’s First Officer after the USS Enterprise was unexpected. It was an interesting idea, and the challenge called to Spock. But he had seen the workload that Number One had and knew it would not be enough to keep him busy. When he told Captain Pike that the man had just laughed.

“Of course, that wouldn’t be enough. Want to be that Chief Science Officer too? That would keep you busy. There’s going to be fourteen science labs on the Enterprise. You’ll have work with all of them. But I’m sure that would work.” Captain Pike said as he met with Spock in Spock’s new office.

“That would be acceptable.” Being both First Officer and Science Officer would be an excellent way to push his skills and to be challenged.

“Good. Oh! Let me tell you about the kid I found in Iowa when I was visiting the ship.” Captain Pike said as he wrote Spock’s acceptance into his padd.

“Kid?” Spock asked.

“Yes. Gorge and Winona Kirk’s son. James Kirk. Got into a massive bar fight but I got him to join. The kid was lost and looking for a reason. Needed a challenge. So, I gave him one. You might be seeing him soon. Rumor has it that his soulmate’s Vulcan. Or Orion. Depends on who you ask. Anyway. He’s here now, and I’m going to keep an eye on him. I’m sure, if he finishes the accelerated course he’s insisting on taking then we’ll have him by the time the Enterprise will be ready. Or at least shortly after.” Captain Pike said.

“If Cadet Kirk takes one of my classes then I will see him,” Spock said. He was not sure what he had to do with a bar fight cadet, but since Captain Pike was interested, he would be polite.

For a moment, Spock wondered about his soulmate. They had been ‘lost’ for lack of a better term for years now too. They have recently been thinking about Starfleet and what to do next. But they had their … Son? …Little brother? To think about. (His soulmate was never clear on the relationship, if it was a biological son, then Spock was unsure what he would think about that.)

Spock had tried real hard to send a thought back to his soulmate. Tell them to join. To get out of their current situation. To get out of the quote: ‘good for nothing, backwoods, sleepy, dead-end, small town.' 

To Go. 

His arm hadn’t burned since that night, nearly three months ago, so Spock didn’t know if they had taken his advice. His soulmate's thoughts were mundane and not very informative. 

_They are going to love this holo when I get home!_

“Anyway. Enough on Jim Kirk. I heard that you are taking over moderating the Kobayashi Maru Simulator.” Capitan Pike said. He leaned forward and gave Spock an even look.

“Yes, Sir. I was the chief programmer for my last year at the academy. The faculty offered and I found it interesting to see how the students react in the simulation. It has been a most fascinating experience.” Spock reached out to drink his tea. It was a Vulcan blend that his father preferred and somehow passed on to him.

“And the end is not winnable? Still?” Capitan Pike asked. He was still giving Spock that even look. Spock did not care for that look.

“Yes. There is no way to win the program. It is just as Starfleet ordered. I was very though in my programming.” Spock said.

“Well, as I’ve said before and I’ll say again: I don’t like that. Life isn’t a true no-win scenario. Sometimes sacrifice is a win. And I don’t think that comes off in the program.” Captain Pike said as he shook his head. He and Spock had a few lively debates on whether the Kobayashi Maru Program worked in the way it was intended to work. That if the program taught what the Admiralty wanted it to. Spock had evidence, but Capitan Pike had intuition.

So, the argument stayed at a stalemate.

There was a knock at the door.

Spock glanced at the time and saw that his next appointment was already past time. Pike saw the look and stood sheepishly. “Sorry for keeping you for so long, Lieutenant Commander. I’ll see you next week at the next meeting.”

“Apologies are illogical and unnecessary. I will see you then sir.” Spock said, and he gave the Ta’al to the captain as he left.

After a moment, Cadet Uhura walked in. She was carrying a padd and a book bag. “I apologize for intruding your meeting with the Captain, Professor.” She said.

“As I told Captain Pike, apologies are unnecessary. Do you have the materials you were asking about after last class?” Spock asked her. Over the last several lesson Cadet Uhura had waited until after class to ask more in-depth questions. Her questions often times demonstrated a higher understanding of Vulcan than most of her fellow classmates had shown.

It made logical sense that she would wait until after class or his office hours to ask her questions. Spock’s pleasure in her company was, as his soulmate has said once, ‘Just an added bonus.' He would like to consider them friends if he was capable of having a friendship. He thought her intelligent and interesting.

It is clear that she thought that of him as well.

“Yes, Professor. I have the book right here.” Cadet Uhura opened her padd to the book that she was struggling to translate. It was more advanced Vulcan than he had gone over in class but she more than halfway done with the book now, so she had some understanding. Cadet Uhura asked her question about the syntax of a poem.

That lead to a comparative conversation on most modern Vulcan and middle Vulcan. Which lasted them most the remaining time before Spock’s next class.

“One last question, professor. I know you are mainly a science officer, not just a linguistics professor. So, you may be able to help me. But I don’t know for sure. Do you have a moment to translate this?” Cadet Uhura asked as she pushed up her uniform sleeve.

Her soulmate apparently was thinking in advance mathematics. As Spock read the white marks on her forearm, he felt his eyebrow raise.

“If I am correct in understanding this equation then your soulmate is thinking about improving power outputs for nacelles of enterprise class starships. If they are correct, then a ship could safely have reached warp nine with a minimal problem to the engines. The structure is another equation altogether.” Spock told her. Cadet Uhura nodded in understanding. “I do not believe that this basic equation would work. However, it is clear that your soulmate is working through that problem.”

“I see. I speak their language so I understand most of what their thinks. But when I woke up to this equation this morning, I was hopelessly confused. Thank you, professor.” She said.

Spock nodded back and gave her the Ta’al as she left. It was almost time for him to go to his next class. This class was one of the advance science track course. Some of his students were very promising.

The next year should be a fascinating one.

-

Pavel was sure he wasn’t going to cry when Tony said he was breaking up with him.

They both saw it coming. Tony and Pavel were only dating because they were bored. Pavel was bored when he didn’t have classwork, which was often. Starfleet was challenging, but sometimes it wasn’t enough. Tony wasn’t in Starfleet yet; his mother was as an instructor.

They were the same age, and at the time neither of them had found their soulmates. Neither of them minded that.

But Tony had found his now. He had met his soulmate two days ago at a park.

Pavel tried to feel jealous or angry about that, but he failed. He was happy for Tony but sad for himself.

Being the genius kid is often very lonely. Tony didn’t care that Pavel was smarter than him. Pavel liked that. So, while he was sure he wasn’t about to cry, Pavel was still upset.

“Pav…. Pasha. I’m sorry, and I’ll always be your friend, but she’s my soulmate. I need her. You understand, that, right? You’re always looking at your arm, so you know.” Tony said, looking just as upset as Pavel felt.

“Da. I do.” Pavel sighed. “I wish you luck Tony.”

“I wish you luck too, Pav. You will need it more than I do. You graduate this year, don’t you?” Pavel didn’t smile at the reminder that he was almost to the stars like he normally did. Right now, it was just another reminder that their relationship had a time limit already. Tony finding his soulmate just made that period shorter.

“Yes, I do,” Pavel said, and then he left Tony. Just walked out of the café they had met in that was right off of Starfleet’s campus. Tony didn’t call after him, so Pavel guesses he understood why Pavel left.

Pavel was graduating soon. He was still waiting for his orders to where he would go, but he was almost done with Starfleet Academy after four years. Pavel had loved it here, Starfleet had challenged him in ways he didn’t know he could be challenged.  He really liked that. But now, he was looking forward to what comes next.

Once he graduated, he would have some of the science track qualifications with physics and astrophysics, but mostly it was in command. He had a navigator’s eye apparently.

Pavel was glad he was obsessed with star charts as a child.

He hoped that he would get stationed somewhere promising.

He hoped for early placement on the USS Enterprise. Only the top fifteen percent of the graduates would be station there, and it was also at the Captain’s digression. If the Captain were unsure of a cadet, then they wouldn't be placed on Starfleet’s flagship.

Pavel had seen several of his classmates receive their rejection orders from the USS Enterprise.

Pavel wanted not to be a part of that group.

Pavel was sure he was smart enough, but it was the rest of his record that concerned. He was terribly young. Some people just saw his age and nothing else. He wanted to be on the best ship Starfleet had to offer. And he had hoped that his record would be enough for the Capitan.

Pavel had done his best, and it showed on his record. Now he just had to wait.

Pavel also hoped that his soulmate wasn’t going to be one of the people who just paid attention to his age and not his skills.

Tony had found his soulmate. Just walking in the park! Why wasn’t it that easy for Pavel to find his soulmate?

Pavel was sure his soulmate was in Starfleet.

It had surprised him when he looked at his arm one morning and saw a thought about meeting with a Starfleet recruiter. It was less than a month later that Pavel saw a title of a class that he knew was one of the requirements needed for all incoming first-year students.

He had tried to look up the class but during the time slot that his soulmate’s thought appeared there were five of that class taking place at the same time. If his soulmate was thinking about the class but not actively in it, then there were another eight classes to worry about.

It wasn’t feasible to stalk the entire freshman class when Pavel had his own senior work to do. That was at the beginning of the year. Pavel didn’t have much time after that. Starfleet kept him mostly busy, and he loved it.

His soulmate’s choice to join Starfleet surprise him because Pavel knew that his soulmate was older and had already completed university. Why would he want to go back? Also, his soulmate was terrified of flying and space. Starfleet was a hard sell if someone is afraid of space.

Pavel wondered what had prompted the choice to go the stars.

He knew that his soulmate had divorced his wife. Pavel watched the marriage crash and burn though his marks.

It seemed that his soulmate and his wife were on the rocks for a few years before they called the marriage off.

The thoughts about the divorce started up about six months before Pavel saw the Starfleet recruiter thought. (Pavel tried rather desperately to ignore the relieved feeling he got when he saw that his soulmate was no longer married.) But he didn’t know what drove his soulmate to join Starfleet. It didn’t make sense.

He was a doctor. Why would he leave his practice for the stars? Just because of a divorce? Was that it?

Pavel reached his room. His roommate wasn’t in for once. Maybe he would take a shower and try to get over Tony with some studying. His last set of finals was in three weeks. He had a ton of work that needed to get done. He took off his red jacket and glanced at his arm.

_How dare she say that?! I’m not running away._

_I’m not running away to space. I have never been._

_I’m running to my soulmate. They are already there. In space. I just need to get there._

Pavel stared down at his left arm, all thoughts of taking a shower and feeling miserable gone.

His soulmate knew he, Pavel Chekov, was going to space?

Maybe his soulmate knew that Pavel was in Starfleet! Maybe that’s why he joined up. He was looking for Pavel, and this was the closest he got!

The grin that broke out on Pavel’s face was bright and happy. Maybe they would get stationed together in a few years. He would have to look for a doctor or a surgeon or even a nurse. He had to be watching.   

Pavel would meet them, someday.  But he also didn’t care at the moment if that took weeks or years.  His soulmate was going to space for him. They would meet. 

Then his padd’s incoming message alarm started to ring. That distracted him for a moment. Pavel didn’t think his mother would call him right now. He reached out to grab the padd.

There was a message from Starfleet Command – Personnel Division.

**To Ensign Chekov, Pavel A.  
You are hereby ordered to report to the USS Enterprise upon graduation of Starfleet Academy as Navigator. Ensign Chekov is to report no later than…**

While the letter went on for quite some time talking about billets and other rights and responsibilities that he did need to read at some moment, all Pavel could do was yell in excitement.

HE GOT THE ENTERPRISE.

Pavel was still dancing around the room when his roommate arrived at their barracks room.

He was so happy.

He hoped that his soulmate could see some of Pavel’s happiness. Between his soulmates encouraging thought and the orders to the Enterprise, Pavel’s day went from being horrible to being amazing.

-

“DADDY!”

If living with Jim and Kevin for the last two years had been worth anything, it was that Joanna was no longer the quiet child she had once been.

She was now loud. She was six, so Bones was sure her loudness was healthy her age. He just wished he didn’t have to hear it at six in the morning after having a long shift at Starfleet medical’s hospital.

“Coming, JoJo!” Bones called back. He pushed himself off the couch he had crashed on when he got home close to one in the morning last night. He had bearly gotten four hours of sleep.

“Daddy! I had a nightmare!” Joanna said the moment he walked into their room. Half of it was covered in her drawings and toys. The other half was covered in his academy reds and the hospital whites. The four of them were sharing a two-bedroom apartment not far off of the Academy grounds. It was all they could afford on two cadets’ salary. Jim and Kevin shared the other bedroom. Everyone knew the couch was free game when it was open.

“What happened, my JoJo? It was a scary dream?” Bones asked his little girl as he sat on her bed. She wasn’t crying, so it wasn’t the worse dream she’s had, but nightmares sucked no matter what.

“Yeah,” she said, “I dreamt people tried to attack us and and….” She trailed off, shaking. Bones was glad she hadn’t had a dream involving her mother again, those sucked so much worse than regular nightmares. At least these he could reassure and help prevent.

“Don’t worry, Jo. No one will attack us here. And when we are on a ship, we’ll be able to dodge and fight back. We won’t be alone.” He said as he petted Joanna’s hair to get rid of the largest tangles. She leaned into the comforting touch.

“Promise that you’ll help fight back?” Joanna asked. Bones hugged her to his chest. She was already falling back to sleep.

“I promise to help as much as I can, JoJo.” He said, and then he tucked his daughter into bed. She would have to be awake in two hours to get ready for school. She needed as much sleep as possible.

It had taken years after the divorce for her to get back to the outgoing child she had been before Joycelyn had left.

It hadn’t helped that since they had moved to San Francisco Joycelyn had never even attempted to see Joanna. Just called about every six months to ask how she was doing. Or threaten more legal action for something Bones had or hadn’t done.

Last time Joycelyn had called it was to accuse Bones of running away. She only brought up Joanna to say that Bones was taking Joanna to spite Joycelyn. Bones had nearly hung up on her. But Joanna hadn’t seen her yet, so he held off on hanging up.

The calls were the only times Joanna had seen her mother. Joycelyn hadn’t even called on her last birthday. Anytime Joycelyn called, it was first to yell at Bones and then Joanna was an afterthought. Bones knew she was still hurting over the divorce, but that didn’t give her the excuse to ignore her daughter.

Joanna barely knew her mother. She had long stopped asking about Joycelyn. It was only after the calls did Joanna even talk about her mother.

Bones took a deep breath. Getting angry at Joycelyn wasn’t going to solve problems. He needed to move on.

Bones wanted to go back to sleep on the couch, but he was now very awake. So, he might as well start breakfast and try to get more sleep after he dropped Joanna off at school. He didn’t have another class until late afternoon. As he left their room, he ran into Kevin who was leaving his and Jim’s room.

“Morning Kev,” Bones greeted.

“Good Morning, Bones,” Kevin said. “Joanna ok?” he asked as they both walked into the tiny kitchen.

“Yes, she is.” Bones said glaring at him. “How’d you know?”

“She did call for you rather loudly. We’ve got thin walls. And plus,” Kevin waved his right arm where Joanna’s sleeping thoughts were on his arm. She was dreaming of being a painter.

“I’m always concerned about my sister,” Kevin said, completely ignoring the ways Bones’ eyes narrowed. Last year, just after he met Kevin and Jim, he had realized that Kevin was Joanna’s soulmate. He and Jim had gotten very drunk that night because of it. Both of them were weepy that their kids had found their soulmates.

Neither of them mentioned that night ever again.

Kevin knew that Joanna was his soulmate. Joanna didn’t realize what having Kevin’s marks on her arm meant, but she did love her older brother.

Joanna was very vocal about introducing Kevin as her older brother to everyone they met. 

Joanna had followed the McCoy family tradition.  

It made Bones twitchy, but he was protective of his daughter because of the divorce. Joanna didn’t get back to her former talkative self until this year.

 “I just wanted to make sure my _little sister_ was alright.”

Bones let this one go. Some of Joanna's recovery was thanks to Kevin's presence. They were following McCoy family tradition and were platonic soulmates. Joanna and Kevin were family.  That fact made Kevin and Jim family if they weren’t already.

In fact, that might have made them family legally. Bones would have to look that up.

“Well, she is. It was just a nightmare.” Bones said shortly. He started to make breakfast for the pair of them. Jim hated when Kevin made breakfast because it was always large and greasy. He claimed that the large and greasy meals made him sleepy during his first class.  

The four of them had been working on getting non-fatty foods into both of Kevin and Jim’s diets, but it had been slow going. They hadn’t made it to salads yet, not without Jim looking like he would rather throw up or throw the salad at a wall.

After the one time, Jim was forced to eat a salad and throw it up; Bones didn’t push too hard.

It was a working in progress.

Bones was just wearing a tee shirt so he could see his soulmate’s thoughts. In the last year, his soulmate had been thinking a lot more in standard. Like they didn’t have the words in Russian for what they were learning. Sometimes it was a mix of Russian and Standard. Today it read:

 _Emergency procedures are to put out the fire and evacuate._ _Закройте_ _воздухонепроницаемое_ _отделение_ _и_ _активируйте_ _силовое_ _поле_ _(close the airtight compartment and activate the forcefield)._

Bones was sure that his soulmate was up in the black.

Bones had an idea that his soulmate was in Starfleet. He was pretty sure of it for years now. Arriving at Starfleet and taking the required classes for command and medical staff had confirmed it.

The few Xeno-Medical classes he needed to take to close up his gaps in knowledge were required. He was very interested in those courses.

The command classes were because he was going to be an experienced full doctor on a ship. That made him a senior officer. If the worst came to pass, Bones would have to take command.

Bones had to prepared for that.

So, he had taken the classes and had faintly recognized some of the things said. He had recognized them from the translated thoughts of his soulmate.

His soulmate had taken the upper-level command division classes.

But at the end of the last school year before the finals and the last time Joycelyn had called him, his soulmate had started freaking out about something to do with a starship.

_I can’t believe that I got this ship! I’m going to be out among the stars!  I can't wait!_

Bones had stared at his arm for hours that day.

Bones glared down at the marks as he made pancakes with some fruit and no syrup. He couldn’t tell what starship because the way the marks worked. No directly identifying thoughts and no direct thoughts themselves were allowed. They never made it to the soulmate. No one could think at their soulmate directly. Not even people who had met and married their soulmate.

In the last six or so months, his soulmate was constantly thinking about emergency procedures and mission statement procedures. Like they were prepping for a mission. A long one.  

So, Bones figured that his soulmate had graduated before Bones did. That would make his soulmate about seventeen.

Bones had to admit it. He was impressed.

Jim came stumbling out of his and Kevin’s room half dressed in his academy red uniform. His t-shirt is showing off his soul marks. Something long and incompressible in what Bones had been told was Vulcan. Bones couldn’t imagine a worse soulmate for Jim than a Vulcan.

“Morning Kev,” Jim said through a yawn.  He walked over to the tiny kitchen table and sat down. He still looked half asleep, but Bones knew that he would wake up shortly. Jim just needed to get some coffee into his system. “Morning Bones.”

Bones wished he knew when he had given up on being called anything else in this household but Bones. Jim and Kevin refused to call him anything but Bones.

He thinks he had given up somewhere in the third month when they were having trouble getting Kevin’s school records from the shit hole of a town Jim and Kevin had grown up in.

That had not been fun.

While the school district was refusing to release Kev’s records, Kevin was teaching himself advance engineering and how to navigate a star chart. It had taken six months to get everything cleared up. When Kevin did go back to school, it was two grades up. He is in his senior year of high school this year.

Kevin was talking about trying for Starfleet as soon as he graduated. Bones was sure that he would make it.  He wasn't concerned that Kevin was only fourteen. Bones had heard rumors of a kid that started at the Academy at fourteen. Kevin would be older than that. 

Joanna’s records had gone through flawlessly, not that she had many, only having gone to kindergarten. Bones was cleared to homeschool Joanna when he graduated. But they had gone into Starfleet with plans. Jim and Kevin didn’t. Bones turned off the heat to the stove when he saw that the pancakes were done.

“Did you finish your homework Kev? I know you were up late last night.” Jim said as he opened up his padd to complete some of his work. Jim was often just barely on top of all his classes. He was also studying for something massive in the command track. Bones didn’t know what it was, but it took up lots of Jim’s limited free time.

Still, with the lack of plans and the impromptus of their choice to join Starfleet, Jim and Kevin were doing pretty good.

“Yep. Totally did. You didn’t, I see.” Kev said, pretending like he wasn’t waiting for Bones to plate the finished pancakes. Once the food was on the table breakfast became a free for all. Bones separated a few pancakes for Joanna. Then he turned to the table with the still cooling pancakes.

“Breakfast!” He said. He put the plate down and got his hands well out of the way. When Jim cooks breakfast, it was always hash browns or cereal. When Kevin cooks breakfast, it was sausage and eggs and maybe toast. Bones wasn’t often awake for breakfast this semester, so pancakes were a rarity. Kevin and Jim didn’t do well with the only other breakfast thing Bones could make, oatmeal.

Bones didn’t like thinking about why neither of them liked salads or Oatmeal. Nor did he push them in having the meals. 

He knew about Tarsus IV. He was their doctor. He just didn’t like it.

 _Я_ _должен_ _получить_ _базовую_ _медицинскую_ _сертификацию_ (I should get a basic medical certification)

Bones looked at his marks again. More Russian. He would translate it once he got some more sleep after he dropped Joanna off at school.

-

Hikaru was nervous. He tried to ignore that. Hikaru sat on his newly issued rack, alone in his newly issued room. He was waiting for his new roommate to arrive. He was honestly expecting his new roommate to show up sometime last night, but they were showing up today.

Hikaru had graduated two weeks ago from the academy. He spent his post-graduation leave with his family in San Francisco. He had been thrilled and excited and ready to serve in the fleet.

And now he had reported to his new ship last night. He has somehow graduated in the top ten percent of his class. Hikaru thought it was thanks to all the late nights in the library and the prep programs he attended at as a teen. His mother had cried when she saw him graduate.

He had passed the command track with a focus in piloting. He also had a science track minor in Xeno-botany. And he had gotten an advanced combat qualification in fencing from the security track. He liked being well rounded.  But his first command was on a starship. The newest starship.

The USS Enterprise.

He had checked in yesterday. He had met his officer in charge and his direct supervisor. He was the Gamma shift’s helmsman. His first shift was this evening. He wasn't nervous for the work shift. He had the training and gamma shift was quiet. Always. If something went wrong, the gamma shift bridge crew would just call the alpha shift and hold on until they showed up.

That didn’t stop Hikaru from being nervous now though. He was meeting his roommate whenever they showed up. He had heard bad things about people who didn’t get along with their roommates. He hoped that they would get along fine. Or at least be on the same shift.

The beep of the door, signaling an authorized entry, startled Hikaru. A boy with dark blond hair walked in carrying a seabag on one shoulder and a smaller luggage bag in the other. This must be Hikaru’s roommate.

The boy could barely be out of his teens. His face still carrying the look of someone who was still growing. His dark blond hair curled into a mess on his head.

The boy took notice of Hikaru immediately. “Hello, I guess I’m your roommate. I am Ensign Pavel Chekov.” He said as he put his bags down on the other bed that Hikaru hadn’t taken.

“Hi, Chekov. I’m Ensign Hikaru Sulu.” Hikaru put his hand out to greet Chekov. Chekov shook it. For a moment, the lower part of Chekov’s soul marks was visible. Hikaru ignored the marks. It was impolite to ask about soul marks when people first meet.

Hikaru had heard of the name Chekov. Very few in their graduating year who hadn't. The young Russian genius who blew the entrance exams out of the water and was at the top or near the top of the class for all four years.

They all graduated as ensigns (except for the Vulcan from three or four years before) so he wasn't surprised to be roommates with someone from his graduating class. But he was surprised to be roommates with the Russian genius.

“What’s your assignment?” Chekov asked curiously. He was putting his gear and bags away in the assigned closet for his bunk. “I'm going to be a navigator, but they haven't told me what shift yet.”

“Gamma shift helmsman,” Hikaru said. “Looking forward to your first day on the job?” He leaned back onto his bed. Some of the nerves were fading. Chekov was bright and happy. He just made want to Hikaru smile.

“Da! Oh. Yes! I am very much looking forward to my shift. It will be so exciting getting ready for space trails. Or at least the last of them.” Chekov sat on his bed ignoring the rest of his stuff, facing Hikaru.

Hikaru started to laugh. “I don't think that Captain Pike liked the results of the last space trial. I heard that they nearly didn't have impulse power. It's part of why we won't officially launch for another year.”

Chekov giggled back. “If the Captain is anything like the new first officer or from what I hear, the Captain’s wife, then he expects perfection.”

“You’ve worked with Lieutenant Commander Spock or Captain Robbins before?” Hikaru asked as his eyes widened. 

He has only heard rumors of the only Vulcan in Starfleet. He hadn't worked with him before. Not even at the academy did he have a class with the Lieutenant Commander. But those same rumors had told Hikaru that the Vulcan was going to be his first officer before the official chain of command was released.

As for the Captain’s wife, Captain Robbins, Hikaru had heard that she could and would out logic a Vulcan.

“He substituted for a class of mine for a week. The hardest week we ever had. But we learned so much. It was very enlightening. I'm looking forward to working with him again. But I’ve only heard of Number One.” Chekov smiled brightly. Hikaru was suddenly glad. He liked Chekov. He hoped they would be friends.

“What are looking forward to most?” Hikaru asked.

“I can’t wait to see some of the astral bodies that we’ve been studying. That sounds fun. I want to see some new planets that haven’t been explored before too. What about you, Sulu?”

Hikaru grinned. “Everything.”

_I just want a full life. I don’t know if that is an exciting life or a mundane one. I just want to be happy._

-

“Hey, Gaila? You think we’re ready for this?” Jim asked as he reread the code for the fifteenth million time. He thought it was done. It was perfect. If not perfect then it was close.

The green skinned woman nodded. “Yes, I do. We’ve been working on the program and subprogram for at least three months now. We both know it inside and out. It will make the simulation winnable if you do any of the right things. It will be hard, but you may pass. Hell, Jimmy, you might still fail.” She looked up from her padd to meet his gaze. In the last six months since they had met, the first-time Jim took the Kobayashi Maru simulation; they had become friends.

Mostly they bonded in their mutual hatred of the simulation and their need for no strings attached sex. It was an odd friendship but friends none the less.

“Good. My attempt is for 1500 tomorrow. I will be ready. Or as much as I can be. You won’t tell me how to access the program. Just that It can be done, right? I want to make this as fair as I can. Ya know. For hacking the test anyway.” Jim said. He leaned back onto the bed. They were in Gaila’s room. Her roommate, Uhura from the Barfight That Changed Jim’s Life (as Kevin calls it), was still doing work at the long-range sensor lab. It was perfect. It gave Jim and Gaila one last time to look over the coding before implementation.

And then have sex. Because that’s how they worked. They were casual, and no feelings were ever actually involved. Gaila has three soulmates she hadn’t met yet, so she liked to explore before she met any of them. Jim was just doing the same.

When Uhura got back to Gaila’s room after being kicked out of the long-range lab, she interpreted what was going to be an enjoyable night. When she started talking about the transmission she picked up from the Klingons and other messages, Jim carefully stored the knowledge in the back of his mind. He had bigger things to worry about. At that moment, he was worried about how to get out from under Gaila’s bed. But tomorrow it was the Kobayashi Maru simulation.

It was going to awesome when he won tomorrow, Jim thought to himself. Then he saw Uhura’s furious face.

 _uf_ _svi' wuh panu did wuh ne-lan kuhsh-tor t'nash-veh nisan?_ (how in the world did a cadet beat my test?)

The next day, Jim felt as if his left arm was on fire. From the moment, he had stepped into the simulation room he had felt his soulmate’s thoughts change. At the time, he didn’t have a moment to stop and look at his arm, so he ignored it.

He ignored the burning when the simulation worked.

“What just happened?” asked Bones, look at Jim in amazement that was quickly turning into horror.

 _nash-veh tor ri fai-tor uf wuh ne-lan did nash_ (this one does not know how the cadet did this)

He ignored the burning when he was yelled at by most of the observing instructors.

“WHAT DID YOU DO?” yelled the teachers. And the testers and a few of the student programmers. Gaila was just grinning.

 _Nash veh bolau glazhau na' wuh programming t' wuh el'torperan va'ashiv. Nash veh bolau talal si' ra went riyeht._ (this one must look at the programming of the simulation again. this one must find out what went wrong.)

He ignored the burning when Bones yelled at him.

“You HACKED THE TEST?” Bones yelled. They had been let go from the simulation building. Jim was starting to get a headache.

 _Tra' nam-tor wuh uzh ne-faikhartek svi' t'nash-veh kiht na' wuh tumaya._ (there is a new subroutine in my code for the program.)

He ignored the burning when Kev had comm’ed him to yell without yelling at him.

 “What did you mean you changed the parameters to an exam?” Kevin quietly asked.

 _uf_ _did veh ne-lan tor nash tor wuh Kobayshi Maru tumaya? (how did one cadet do this to the Kobayashi Maru program?)_

He ignored the burning when Uhura had found him and Gaila.

“Is this what you two have been working on for the past three months?” Uhura said. Jim had found Gaila after Bones had finished yelling at him and had passed him off to Kevin. He wasn’t looking forward to going home right at that moment. Gaila had been waiting for him at her’s and Uhura’s room. It also meant that Uhura was also waiting for him.

“You two cheated,” Uhura said. She was so furious looking that Jim fought the urge to run and hide. Gaila looked like she knew the feeling.

“We thought that the test was unfair, Ny-“ Gaila cut off abruptly at Uhura’s sharp look.

“We aren’t friends right now.” She said. “I’m very angry with you!”

“Uhura,” Jim barked. His arm hurt. His head hurt. He didn't want to be yelled at by a fifth group of people. “We didn’t think the test was fair. I don’t believe in no-win scenarios. Gaila doesn’t believe in no-win scenarios. Hell, I don’t believe that you do either. So, tell me. How is it cheating to stop an unjust program?” He really didn’t think that this test would be such a big deal. And when he looked at Gaila it was clear that she didn’t either. She was rubbing at her soul marks. It was a nervous habit that Gaila had.

“It’s cheating because it’s against the rules and regulations.” Uhura snapped back. She paced in front of Jim and Gaila, who were sitting on Gaila’s bed. “Don’t you get it?! You’re throwing away your careers! They will catch you and put you in front of an academic hearing. You’ll be expelled. Is that what you want Gaila?”

Jim had to stop her. “They won’t catch Gaila.” He said.

His arm burned again.

“What do you mean they won’t catch Gaila?” Uhura asked flatly. She stopped pacing and just glared at Jim.

“Just what it sounded like. They won’t catch Gaila. I made sure of that. If anyone is going to deal with this, it’s going to be me and me alone. So, unless you go spilling your guts to the administration and the Admirals, then no one is going to know Gaila helped me. They might suspect someone did, but no one will know.” Jim said. He stood while he did so advancing on Uhura until they were nose to nose. Uhura didn’t back down, just glared up at Jim and didn’t break her gaze.

“I won’t tell. But so, help me, Kirk… If you throw Gaila under the bus, then you will regret it.” Uhura threatened.

“That’s fine,” Jim said, backing down. “I won’t throw Gaila under the bus.”

“Gaila isn’t happy about being ignored right now. What to do mean no one will know? My fingerprints are all over that program. Anyone who is remotely familiar with my work will see that.” Gaila said from the bed. She was glaring at both Jim and Uhura.

“I programmed a new subroutine to make it disappear after less than twelve hours,” Jim told her. “They will know I did something to the program, but after twelve hours it will vanish.”

“Oh, Jimmy. Always trying to be the hero, aren’t you?” Gaila asked.

“What do you mean, ‘Oh Jimmy?’? That’s the least he can do after getting you mixed up with this mess!” Uhura said. She turned back to Jim, still just as angry. “If you think that cheating on a test is going to make you graduate then you are wrong. It will just get you in trouble, and then your soulmate won’t ever want you. You’re too illogical for a Vulcan!”

Jim felt like he had been slapped. His right hand went to his left arm, right was the marks were and where the burning had been all day. He had taken off his red jacket when he had walked into the room initially. His marks were clearly on display.

 _po_ _did ik sem-rik ne-lan ar'kadan tor ar'kadan fi' t'nash-veh tumaya heh wilat did ish-veh sub programming hal-tor?_ (why did that fascinating cadet try to work on my program and where did his sub programming go?)

“Your soulmate is thinking about some who they think is fascinating. ‘sem-rik.' Fascinating. That’s a high compliment for a Vulcan. And it’s not about you.” Uhura continued, unaware what she was doing to Jim. He was upset already for being yelled at by everyone. For correcting a mistake of a program. He really didn’t do anything wrong. He was upset that Uhura thought that he had dragged Gaila into fixing the program. 

But that was hard to hear. He thought the world of his soulmate. He was trying. He was good enough for his very logical soulmate…

“What the hell, Nyota?” Gaila interrupted. “Stop. That’s mess up. Why would you tell someone that?”

Uhura stopped and realized what she had just said. Her expression went from fury and anger to upset. “I’m sorry, Kirk. That was out of line for me. I shouldn’t have said that.”

 “No,” Jim said. “She’s right. You shouldn't have said that. I’m not going to be yelled at for solving a damn problem. I'm going to get enough of that tomorrow.”

“Jimmy?” Gaila asked as she came up to stand next to him.

“I'm going to an academic hearing at noon tomorrow, so I'll be yelled at. Gaila, you won't be indicated. I won't let that happen.”

Uhura looked from him to Gaila then back again.

“I won't bring it up.” She promised. “I am sorry Kirk.”

Jim sighed and looked at her. “Did you bring up the charges?”

“No. I'm not sure who did, but it wasn't me. I think you need an instructor to be able to do that.” Uhura said.

“Then I'll accept your apology and try to forget it happened. I'll protect Gaila, and we’ll move on.” Jim said. He reached down and picked up his Academy red jacket and then his backpack and padd.  

And he hoped that he'll be able to move on. He just wanted today to be done. But he still had to go home and face Kevin and Bones.

Who brought him on charges for fixing a damned simulation!?

-

Spock was sure that he was not angry. That would be an emotion he did not have.

He was not sure what he was experiencing if it was not anger, but Spock was not going to dwell on the unknown. At least not at the moment. When the academic hearing was complete, he would spend some time meditating on what he currently felt, but for now, Spock just was tempted to let it go.

He sat in the audience of the academic hearing. The cadet, James T Kirk, was very angry, even Spock could see and understand that. Spock had come to the conclusion that he would most likely be called as a witness to the Cadet’s cheating on the Kobayashi Maru. That his testimony about the cheating would be valuable. That was part of the reason why he lodged a formal complaint with the Starfleet Academy.

The cadet who had cheated stood at a podium in the middle of the auditorium. His blond hair was standing out against the sea of red. He was reading a padd on the podium, his eyebrows raising with every line. His back tensing further. Cadet Kirk was getting angrier.

When the Admirals started the hearing, Cadet Kirk was brash and confident. His arrogance was hard for Spock to understand. The student had cheated. He at least admitted that he cheated. Why was Cadet Kirk so confident in his innocence?

Spock ignored the burning in his arm, as he had for the last twelve hours. His soulmate was thinking about him. Or to him. His soulmate would have to wait until his duties to Starfleet was finished. He had been surprised that he felt a slight burning in his arm when he first looked at Cadet Kirk in the simulation chamber, but Spock assumed that his soulmate had thought of him.

His soulmate occasionally did think of him. Spock had grown used to the burning sensation down his arm.

That burning happens more often than he was led to believe as a child. His mother said the burning only happened twice when you recovered your marks and when you meant your soulmate. That once you have met your soulmate the burning fades after a day or two. Never to return again.  But Spock’s arm has burned much more often than twice. He and his soulmate almost had conversations.

It was most illogical.

He would meditate on this situation later. When the hearing was done. 

The cadet was clearly angry. Unlike Spock. He was snapping out at the Admirals and Captains that made up the academic broad. He wondered what about this cadet was so fascinating.

When the cadet demanded to see his accuser, Spock stood and made his way to the other podium to the side of the auditorium. Spock had long planned out what he needed to say. While Cadet Kirk was the only one Spock could prove was a part of the cheating Spock suspected that there was more. He just did not have the capability of finding out who as the subroutine had deleted itself within four hours of the test. Spock did not have enough time to save the program and the identity of Cadet Kirk’s accomplice.

When Spock's eyes met, Cadet Kirk’s his arm went from burning to actively on fire. He nearly let the pain show on his face; it was so great. He had not felt the burning this intense since he was a boy and had first received his marks.

Spock wondered if this pain is what his mother meant by ‘only twice in your life.'

He did not believe so. He had not met his soulmate.

He wondered what his soulmate had thought to him now and why it was so much stronger than normal.

Cadet Kirk’s intake of breath when their eyes met was of no concern. Spock assumed that it was because it was Spock who was the accuser. He was the only Vulcan in Starfleet. He had to be known. Not that Cadet Kirk had felt a burning pain on his arm too.

The glare that Spock received when he stepped up the podium was fierce and powerful. Spock was fascinated by that look.

Spock almost did not pay attention to what came out of his mouth when Cadet Kirk started to argue with him about the test. He recited all he could about the purpose of the test and why the test exists. The reasoning only served to make Cadet Kirk angrier.  Spock’s mind was whirling both at the burning pain in his arm and the thought that the look of defiance that Cadet James T. Kirk had given Spock was captivating. 

Spock refused to let his distraction show.

“I don’t believe in No-Win Scenarios.”  Cadet Kirk spat out. The cadet was radiating anger and certainty so much that Spock could feel it despite not touching the cadet. Spock almost believed him despite the illogical nature of the sentiment.

All things in life must admit there are always the possibilities of no-win scenarios.

_He is not what I expected._

“Vulcan is in distress! All cadets to the hangers for immediate assignment.” The announcement made Cadet Kirk break his gaze with Spock.

When the message came through from Vulcan, Spock no longer paid any attention to the cheating cadet.

James T. Kirk would be grounded until further notice. Spock would not care nor think of him. 

He was needed elsewhere.

-

Jim was so damned angry that Bones could see it from miles away. He was practically glowing with fury. Jim was almost as angry as Bones was last night when Jim had come home with Gaila at his arm. Saying that she had the couch for the next few days. Kevin and Bones had agreed to that she looked like she needed it.

Then they had started into Jim. The yelling had gone on for quite a while before Jim had gotten a word in edgewise between Kevin and Bones.

As always, Jim was a convincing son of a bitch.

“Who was that?” Jim asked, staring after the Vulcan professor. For a man who was so obliviously angry, Jim still watched the Vulcan like a man who didn’t know if he wanted to fight or fuck. (Bones wished he didn’t know what that look was his best friend but he did. Too many barfights in the first year of the academy.) It was the first time that the look was directed at one person though. Most of the time it was choice between a fight or a one night stand.

Bones smirked. Anyone who could get Jim’s attention and hold it while still pissing him off is a person Bones wanted to be around more often. “I don't know, but I like him.” Bones said. “Com’on. We need to get to the hanger bay for assignments. Let's just hope they put us on the same goddamn ship.”

“If they don’t we’ll raise hell when we graduated. We’ll call Kev and JoJo from the ships. It might be a few days before we get back.” Jim said as they walked toward the academy's hanger bay. As they left Bones could see shuttles from many different ships coming down from orbit to land at the hanger.

He shuddered and tried to remember what the academy's fear councilors had told him. He would be okay. He would be fine. He was good on simulations and the shuttles the Academy uses for field trips. He would be okay in space.

Remember. He needed to remember. His soulmate was fine in space. He would be okay in space.

 _Вызов с Вулкана? Чрезвычайная ситуация? Мне нужно добраться до мостика!_ (A call to Vulcan? An emergency? I need to get to the bridge!)

When they joined their alphabetic duty section and Bones heard: “McCoy! USS Enterprise – second medical officer.” And didn't hear Jim’s name be called Bones got a sinking feeling in his stomach.

Jim didn't have an assignment because he was on probation. Academy rules. Bones had forgotten.

When Jim confirmed his grounding from their duty section officer, Bones’ sinking feeling became a knot. “The board will rule in your favor. Most likely.” Bones was hopeful but did not discount the serious of Jim’s cheating.

“I gotta go, Jim” Bones said, looking at the shuttle which was nearly full. The shuttle was going to leave in ten minutes like the rest of them. Some of the enlisted crewmen were loading medical supplies to the cargo bay of the shuttle.

“Ah yes... Go. Be safe Bones.” Jim told him distractingly looking around at the fast emptying hanger. Bones could see Uhura talking to Gaila and could hear her apologizing.  Most of the cadets were in line to get on their shuttles.

Bones started to walk away from Jim. The farther he got, the more Bones didn't like this. Jim Kirk needed to be in space. That was a fact of the world.  He needed to be in space. Bones may have hated space, but he knew that Jim was a part of space as much as space was a part of Jim Kirk.

Bones wasn't going to leave him on earth looking like a lost puppy as they go off to save the day. “Damn it.” Bones wasn’t going to let this go.

“Oh, come on.” Bones said as he grabbed Jim by the arm and back. The medical loading dock was located right off the hanger was not too far from them. It was empty. The crewmen had finished their work. If he could do this…

Bones pulled Jim along behind him toward the bay. He just needed a vaccine. A live one. One that has fact acting symptoms. He could do this.

Jim would come along with him to space. Or…. Or …

No, Jim would go with the Enterprise or the Enterprise would launch without one of its senior medical officers.

That was that.

“Ow! Jesus Bones! What did you do?” Jim yelled when Bones hit him with a hypospray. Bones quickly took the hypo apart and started to dispose of the spray. He needed to leave as little evidence as possible.

“Malverian mud flee vaccine.” Bones then reached over and grabbed an extra medical bag. It was always best to have more than necessary of medical supplies.

“What for?!” Jim was blinking rapidly and rubbing at his left eye.

“To give you the symptoms. I can get you on the ship with it. You owe me one.” Bones told him. “The vision loss is normal. You’ll start sweating next.” Bones helped Jim to his feet and pushed him toward the door.

He ignored the “How did you know I couldn’t see?” from Jim.

The movement pushed Jim’s sleeve up, and bones could see the Vulcan writing on his arm. It was swirls and lines that never made sense to bones. The last bit of the marks were in standard though. They read. ‘ _I need to get home.'_

Bones didn’t think Vulcans were too attached to where they lived. It didn’t seem logical. But maybe they were. Or at least Jim’s soulmate was.

“And this is a favor?!” Jim asked as Bones dragged him out of the medical loading dock and toward their shuttle and the pilot who was checking names off a list on a padd.

“Yep. As I said. You owe me big time.”

The shuttle pilot scanned Bones, and the padd beeped, responding to the tracker in Bones’ Starfleet insignia on his collar. The pilot tried to do the same for Jim, and the padd gave a warning beep.

“Kirk’s not allowed. He isn’t assigned to the Enterprise.” The pilot said, glancing up at Bones.

Bones put on his best glare. “Well, I’m his doctor, so if I say he’s coming along, he’s coming along.”

“Kirk is not authorized.” The pilot restated.

“Look, the medical code states: “The treatment and transport of a patient are to be determined. At the discretion of his attending physician”. Which is me. So, I’m taking Kirk abroad. Or would you like to explain to Capitan Pike why the Enterprise warped into a crisis without its second medical officer?” Bones snapped at the guy.

The pilot just sighed and marked something on his padd. “Fine. It's him who you are taking into a crisis. It’s your responsibility if he gets hurt. So, as you were.”

“As _you_ were.” Bones snorted. “I’m his doctor. Of _course,_ it’s my responsibility if he gets hurt. Who else would take him?” He readjusted his grip on Jim and pulled the stumbling man into the shuttle.

“Hey, Bones? Your marks…are showing. They…. are thinking about.... the navigation equations..... I believe they are for going... to Vulcan.” Jim said when he caught sight of Bones’ arm as they were moving to a set of empty seats with a window view. Bones wanted to ignore him, but he had to look. Sure, enough the marks on his arm were complex equations and coordinates followed by a few words in standard.

Bones wondered why Jim was able to read the equations while he was clearly trying not to throw up on Bones. He thought it would bode well for Jim’s career if he could still think about and identify complex equations when he was ill.

 _Vulcan needs us there_ _как_ _можно_ _быстрее_ _._ _Я_ _должен_ _быть_ _быстрым_ _._ (as soon as possible. I need to be quick.)

“Well, we thought my soulmate was in Starfleet. They must be with the fleet going to Vulcan. Wonder what ship they are on.” Bones mused. He looked at his arm and wondered what his soulmate was thinking in Russian. He really didn’t have time to get a translator program open.

The shuttle launched and Bones watched Jim instead of the window. He didn’t want to put himself through more than he needed to when it came to flying.

As they broke the atmosphere and headed toward Earth Space Dock, Jim was getting worse. Bones hoped he would stay conscious long enough to get him to the Enterprise’s sick bay.

“Woah, Jim look at that!” Bones said as he finally got the nerve to look out the window. The USS Enterprise was in the third dock. She was newer and slightly bigger than all of the other ships in space dock. Bones looked at Jim and pushed at his shoulder. “Jim. You need to see this.”

Jim looked over at the window and was instantly captivated. Bones could see it was love at first sight. Dispute the forced illness, Jim’s gaze was full of awe as he looked at the USS Enterprise for the first time since he left Iowa. Bones could see the desire to have the Enterprise for his own grew in Jim’s eyes.

Bones wished that Joanna was here and that this wasn’t an emergency mission. JoJo will love this sight when she gets aboard.

He hopes Kevin and JoJo would be alright on earth until they get back.  It might be a few days or a week.

Getting Jim to sick bay once on the Enterprise was harder than it should have been. Hiding from people who would report Jim, like that Vulcan professor that made Jim so angry at the hearing and Jim’s worsening condition (this is worse than the vaccine should be. Bones was getting worried) made the short trip eventful.

Once Jim was knocked out on a biobed for at least ten minutes and maybe up to a half hour, Bones went to change into the medical blue shirt. He told one of the nurses that to get Jim out of the red uniform and into the standard under blacks of the working uniform.

He waved at the Chief medical officer. The man was sitting in his office, with some last minute paperwork. The other doctor waved back. Bones pointed to his tiny corner office. The doctor nodded and waved him away.

He looked down at himself in the mirror of his office. He didn’t look too bad. Just an old guy in a shiny new uniform. He was in space. He could do this.

First, he needed to call Joanna and Kevin.

He started up the computer on his desk and made the comm call. While they were in space dock around Earth, the calls were easy.

Kevin picked up impatiently. “Kirk-McCoy residence.”

“I hate when you call it that. we sound like a married couple.” Bones told him, frowning.

“You are a married couple with two kids in a two-bedroom apartment. Deal with it Bones. What’s wrong?” Kevin asked. He was worried looking. Bones could see Joanna coming out of their room and heading over to the comm screen. She came up to the screen standing next to Kevin.

“Something is wrong with Vulcan. We’re heading over to the planet. Me and Jim are on the USS Enterprise. And we’ll be here for a while. They haven’t given us much information yet. So, we didn’t know when we will be back. I think it may be up to a week. I’ll make Jim call as soon as he can.” Bones told them both.

“That long? Daddy, are you in space? Without me?” Joanna pouted. “You said together!”

“That long? What’s going on with Vulcan?” Kevin asked at the same time.

“Yes. That long.  We don’t know. Just a distress signal. We’ll find out more soon.” Bones told them both. “Kevin. Take care of Joanna. We have enough food in the refrigerator and the replicator for at least a week. If, God forbid, we’re longer than that, then you have access to the credits. We’ll call as soon as we can.”

“Ok, Bones,” Kevin said. He looked grave. Bones hated putting that much responsibility on the sixteen-year-old, but it had to be done.

“Joanna, be good for Kevin, alright? I know I said that we’ll be in space together, but there’s an emergency. You know how sometimes I have to go the hospital even when I'm not supposed to work?" Bones asked. 

At Joanna's small nod, he continued. "This is like those times. So, I’ll go early. It will be alright, ok?” Bones said turning his attention to his daughter. “I’ll make sure there’s room here for you got it?”

Joanna nodded. The picture was begging to get fuzzy. They must be leaving space dock. “Look I got to go. We’re leaving now so I love you and I’ll call as soon as I can. Bye Sweetie.” Bones said.

“Bye, daddy. I Love you.”

“I love you too sweetheart.”

“Bye Bones, take care of Jim please,” Kevin added.

Bones glared at Kevin for a half second, and then Bones closed the comm call.

He glanced at his arm and pulled up his sleeve.

_Navigation set. Captain’s orders. Brief ship. Go._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, that's chapter three! I hope you all enjoy! I'll try to get the fourth chapter up tomorrow. After tomorrow my updates will get a bit more sporadic. I go back to work, and I won't have as much time to edit. 
> 
> once again I'm on Tumblr at http://asailordreamingbeyondthehorizon.tumblr.com/


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I totally posted an unedited chapter by accident. Then I realized what I had done and deleted it to fix the issues. SORRY if you got more than one email update.  
> ANYWAY. Here's chapter four.  
> Many thanks to Erlander for helping me with the Russian in the first three chapters! I really really appreciated it!

Nyota would love to say she wasn’t furious at her roommate but that would be a lie. She would love not be in the middle of whatever drama Jim Kirk created this time, but she wasn’t that lucky. She would like to see Jim Kirk’s face when he realized who runs the Kobayashi Maru exam.

Spock was apocalyptic after the simulation. Or at least he was for a Vulcan. That meant Spock was so absorbed in reading the code of the exam that he was ignoring everything around him. He occasionally murmured under his breath in Vulcan.

Nyota had gone up to the observation room after the exam. Jim Kirk was pulled away by his friend, McCoy, to be yelled at. Then the rest of the professors had gotten to him.

She had a feeling that Kirk was going to be yelled at for a long while.

Gaila was grinning in a way that made Nyota weary. Something didn’t click with Kirk working alone in this. And Gaila was sleeping with him... 

Nyota frowned. If Gaila did what Nyota thinks she might have done then Nyota is going to have words with her later.

Lots of yelled words.

She could see Spock leaning over the computers, intently studying the code, occasionally muttering in Vulcan. It was mostly computer terms that Nyota was only partly familiar with in Vulcan. The occasional “Sem-rik” came up.

She wasn’t sure if her friend and professor knew how Kirk had cheated but from the look of it, Spock would know soon.

She really hoped, for Gaila’s sake, that he didn’t figure out who had helped Kirk if he figured out that Kirk had not worked alone.

Spock would figure it all out if he had a chance.

Nyota really wished she has spent more time in the Long-range sensor lab. But Gaila had asked her to work as a part of Kirk’s team for this simulation.

Gaila was looking at Kirk. Kirk was being yelled at by the faculty now. McCoy was standing off to the side, glaring at Kirk like he was about to start screaming again.

Nyota tried to get Spock’s attention, but after a few moments, it was clear that Spock wasn’t going to be moving from the computers. It was like the rest of the world didn't exist for him. 

She stayed at the simulation to make sure that Gaila wasn’t implicated right then at that moment, but she then went to find her roommate.

Gaila was with Kirk, in her and Nyota’s shared barracks room.

At least this time they weren’t having sex. But that didn’t stop Nyota’s furry at the deception and the cheating.

Nyota regretted most of the entire conversation that followed.

When she was left standing in the room after Gaila had run off with a packed bag and Kirk, she was still angry, but it was an exhausted angry. She did feel sorry for the soulmate statement she said to Kirk, but he was still wrong about the test. And he was wrong to bring Gaila into this.

She still didn’t know for sure if Spock was the one who brought Kirk up on the academic cheating charges. So, she didn’t lie to Kirk. Just…. Mislead.

She glanced at her arm when she got changed in the empty feeling room.

 _Eile_ _air latha fuar, agus fear eile dona biadh, latha eile ann Starfleet._ (another day, another bad meal, another day in Starfleet.)

Nyota still wasn’t sure why her soulmate was cold. And hungry. But they were like her right now. Miserable.

The next day at the trial, Gaila had to sit next to her and was deeply unhappy about that. She crossed her arms and refused to speak to Nyota. Nyota didn’t try to push her friend into talking. Gaila would talk to her when she was done being angry and not a moment before.

True to his word Kirk didn’t bring Gaila up at all. He said he was working alone. It was rather clear that the Board of Admirals did not believe him, but as there was no evidence that anyone else helped, they let it go.  

When Spock stood up when Kirk demanded to see his accuser, Nyota’s heart sank. A Vulcan telling Jim Kirk that he was illogical and wrong would not go over well even after Nyota hadn’t said anything about it the night before.

But…Something caught her attention. All of her communications training and all of her experience was telling her that there was more going on than she thought. As Nyota watched the exchange, she got an idea of something. The body language was off. The language wasn’t two people who instantly hated each other. The body language was too open, too considering, too  _fascinated_ for that.

For some reason, Jim Kirk’s attention was caught by her friend, Spock. And that attention was more than just anger at the person who had accused him.

But Nyota found that for some strange reason, Spock’s attention was caught by Jim Kirk. He looked at Jim Kirk like he was a particularly vexing puzzle that needed to be fixed.

“Vulcan is in distress! All cadets to the hangers for immediate assignment.”

Nyota stood with the rest of her class and ran for the Academy's main hanger bay. She got into her duty section and stood behind Gaila. When the group was lead into the hangers and was stopped in front of the shuttles that would lead them to one of the ships that would take them to Vulcan, Nyota had decided she was going to talk to Gaila before either of them got on a shuttle.

Nyota wasn’t one to leave a friendship like this. If Gaila was still angry then fine, Nyota could accept that, but she was still going to apologize before they get on separate ships for who knows how long. She heard Gaila’s name be called for the Farragut.

Nyota sighed out in relief. The Farragut was the ship Gaila had wanted to serve on. Gaila thought that one of her three soulmates was on the ship.

“Uhura! USS Enterprise!”

Nyota nodded at the duty officer who called her name. Good. She really had wanted to serve on the Enterprise when it had gotten commissioned. Spock said he would write a letter of recommendation for her to Capitan Pike. She was relieved.

“Good luck and Dismissed!” the duty officer said. The cadets in front of her scattered. Gaila turned around and saw Nyota.

Gaila almost moved around Nyota but Nyota stepped in front and started to speak. “Gaila. I’m sorry I got so mad at you yesterday for helping Kirk. I said and did some cruel things.” Nyota began.

Gaila cut her off. “I know. I’m not that mad anymore. For that anyway. I know you were just concerned about me. But what you said to Jimmy was mean. I am a little mad about that, but Jimmy says he’s cool with it so whatever. You get why we messed with the test though right?”

Nyota wanted to shake her head no, but deep down, she did understand why they had messed with the test. She had done some thinking after they left. The Kobayashi Maru, an unwinnable test, wasn’t realistic. Not in the way that Starfleet needed it to be. She hadn’t liked sitting on the test for Kirk, not only because she really didn’t like Kirk but because she didn’t like the test either. “I do understand. Please be careful out there? Who knows what’s actually happening out there on Vulcan.”

“I will, Nyota! I can’t believe I actually got the Farragut! I’m so excited! Maybe I’ll meet soulmate number three!” Gaila grinned. Her face lighting up and Nyota had to laugh. Gaila had always referred to her soulmates as numbers because she had three marks from three different people stacked on top of each other in white on her left arm.

“That would be amazing, Gaila. You have to go now as I do I, Please be safe.” Nyota said, nodding to the shuttle for the Farragut. Gaila smiled softer and hugged Nyota.

“I will. I’ll see you when we get back. You better be safe too.” Then Gaila turned around and when to the shuttle. Nyota turned to the shuttle for the Enterprise.

She was supposed to see Spock walking away from the shuttle area with a padd. He looked like he was doing last minute checks before they left. Nyota did not want to bother him. He was now a first officer. He had important stuff to do to help his planet and ship. She would see him on the ship.

Out of the corner of her eye, she also saw McCoy dragging Kirk off to a loading dock. She ignored the two. They weren’t really worth her time.

An officer was checking off names for the shuttle to the Enterprise. “Acting Lieutenant Uhura. Find a seat.”

Nyota just nodded in recognition of her new temporary rank. Most people would graduate the academy as Ensigns. Nyota’s work and Spock’s recommendation letter probably helped in getting her the new temporary rank.

She went on the shuttle that would take her to space for the first time since the accident with her uncle.

The landing dock of the USS Enterprise was in a state of mild hectic organization. Cadets had to report to their Divisions and be given a temporary uniform and assignment. There was a section for every track. Communications, medical, security, sciences, engineering, and command. Nyota was told to report to the communication system shop in engineering. She would be making sure the communications systems would work and pick up all signals it needed too. She would be doing minor translating of long range systems.

It wasn’t her dream job, but it was something she knew how to do. She could do repairs and fixes on machines, but she never had the mind to create or improve or truly, deeply understand the machines like the engineering track people did, as Gaila did. She would be doing repairs and receiving and redirecting calls from around the ship. Not glamorous but the first step on the latter to doing more.

She got changed from her red Academy uniform to the red working uniform of the communications division in the fleet. She glanced down at her arm.

 _an_ _aon rud math mu dheidhinn seo fuar gu bheil a tribble Cha toir breith. Chan eil an leanabh tribbles dhomh!_ (the only good thing about this cold is that the tribble will not give birth. No baby Tribbles for me!)

That made Nyota smile. She liked tribbles. They were cute.

 She then found the shift supervisor for her station. The engineering deck was very busy, but she ignored the constant movement. She sat down and tried to work on clearing the intra-ship communication traffic from the ship to ship traffic.

They had just left space dock when a young man with blond curls and a Russian accent came on the screens to give a ship wide broadcast to tell them what was happening to Vulcan. Something about a lightning storm in space. It sounded familiar but Nyota didn't place it immediately, and she moved on.

Then Jim Kirk, dressed down into just uniform under blacks and having an allergic reaction to something, came tearing down her station and demanded to know about the message she had received from the Klingons two nights ago.

-

Pavel was excited. In a nervous sort of way. The order from Starfleet to help Vulcan only came in an hour and a half ago. They were supposed to leave in a half hour.

Hikaru sat next to him doing his preflight and leaving space dock checks on the steering systems and the other primary systems. He had been promoted to lieutenant and put on Bata shift only a week ago. Pavel was doing the same with the navigation systems. He had completed the summarization and reported to Capitan Pike just a few minutes ago. The Captain told him to prepare a ship-wide brief once he was done with the navigational pre-flight checks.

His board was showing all clear. He was ready.

Writing the ship wide brief wasn’t that different than prepping for the captain’s brief. There wasn’t any classified information. Pavel would tell the crew everything that Starfleet has told them. Nothing would be left out.

Hikaru was a little nervous. Pavel could see it in his movements. He had been promoted to the beta shift Helmsman and Lieutenant only a few weeks ago. He wasn’t supposed to be on the alpha shift like Pavel was. But the Chief Helmsman was ill, and he was confined to quarters. So, Hikaru was on the bridge. Pavel gave him a bright smile as they finished preparing their console for flight.

Hikaru responded with a smile that more of a nervous grimace than a genuine smile.

Pavel glanced down at his arm. He wouldn’t have a chance to look at the marks anymore today. When Pavel had woken up, he had looked. His soulmate had been very angry about something, but Pavel couldn’t make out what. The thoughts were too vague to tell.

Now that they were warping to help Vulcan from a ‘lightning storm in space’ and some other unidentified problems he knew that he wouldn’t have time to see if his soulmate had calmed down.

He heard more than saw Mr. Spock come on to the bridge.

“Engineering reports ready for launch, Capitan,” Spock said as he passed behind Pavel’s seat to the science station.

“Thank you,” Captain Pike said as he took the seat in the center chair. “The USS Enterprise’s maiden voyage deserved more pomp and circumstance. Let our safe return be that for us. Let’s go.”

Around the bridge, Pavel heard the chorus of ‘aye, sir’s, and he turned back to his station.

When Hikaru was told to ‘punch it’ and the rest of the fleet left and they didn’t, he looked at his roommate.

“Who are you, Lieutenant?” asked Capitan Pike. The whole bridges’ attention was on Hikaru. Pavel winced as Hikaru tried to correct the situation.

“Hikaru Sulu, sir.”

“Helmsmen McKenna’s replacement?” Capitan Pike asked. Pike was just blankly staring at the back of Hikaru’s head. Hikaru reached out and tried another release combo on the board.

“Yes, sir. McKenna is ill.” Hikaru said.  

“Did you forget the parking break, Mr. Sulu?” Pike asked.

“The inertial dampeners,” Spock said at the same time. 

Pavel checked the board. Yes, the inertial dampeners were still on.

Hikaru silently pressed the right button, and they went into warp heading to Vulcan. He was flushed red slightly. Pavel nudged him with his shoulder.

The movement caught Pike’s attention. “You, Russian whiz kid! Chekov, was it?”

“Yes sir, Chekov, Pavel Andreiavich.”

“Well, Mr. Pavel Andreiavich, brief the crew and let's get a move on for this emergency.”

“Aye sir,” Pavel said. He spoke his code to the computer, wondering if it would work this time. The computer understood his accent and worked about half the time. It didn't work the first time. But it did the second.

Pavel found his notes on his padd and started to give the ship wide brief. After that was done Pavel checked his course corrections. They were still making excellent time to Vulcan. They would arrive in at the planet less than ten minutes after the rest of the fleet.

A commotion in the back of the bridge near the turbo lift doors caused both him and Hikaru to look up from their work at the main panel.

A blond man in under blacks, a dark-skinned woman in a red dress and a communications translator in her ear and a middle age man with a medical tricorder burst onto the bridge.

Capitan Pike was up and out of his seat before most could even process what was going on. “Kirk? What are you doing here? How the hell did you get on board the Enterprise?”

Kirk said, “This cadet is trying to save the bridge. We’re flying to a trap!” Pavel’s heart stopped. A trap. He stared down at his navigational sensors. They were in warp. They couldn’t see much beyond the biggest celestial bodies. Suns and large planets mostly. Once they came out of warp, the sensors picked up so much more. But now they couldn’t see the rest of the fleet.

Pavel watched the exchange with a sense of growing horror as the man in under blacks, Kirk, told them about the Romulan message that the woman had listened to and interrupted.

That it was the same ship that had attacked the USS Kelvin twenty-five years ago.

Pavel had read Capitan Pike’s dissertation too. He understood what was being spoken about and Pavel, for the first time, was scared.

Pavel grabbed at his right arm for a short moment, covering his marks with his hand. He needed his soulmate’s strength and tenacity at the moment. He could do this.

The communication officer was relieved by the woman. “I’m not picking up any transmission in Romulan. Or any at all.” She reported.

“It's because they are being attacked,” Kirk said. He stood glaring at the captain. Pike held his gaze.

“Shields up. Red Alert. All hands to Battle Stations.” The Capitan said. Pavel took his hand off of his arm. They had less than a minute until arrival at Vulcan. The bridge sprang into movement. Every station had to warn the people below them of the red alert and how to respond. Pavel warned the command staff on most decks. They were the ones who were going to run damage control parties and other disasters.

For a moment, the bridge was tense with no movement. The doctor with a tricorder when to stand behind Kirk. Mr. Spock stood to Kirk’s right. All others had a station to go to.

“Arrival at Vulcan in three… two… one…” Hikaru said, the nervous from before gone from his voice. Pavel was watching the screen. When they dropped out of warp and saw the remains of the fleet, he was stunned.

Those ships were some of the Federation’s best. Some of Starfleet’s best people staffed those ships.

Captain Pike started to call out maneuvers to dodge the larger pieces of the ship. The captain also called to the transporter and the shuttle bay to get any of the fleet’s survivors they could on board. Anyone out there wouldn’t survive long. 

They were being thrown around like they were on a roller coaster while using evasive maneuvers to avoid the remains of the fleet. Pavel could hear Pike yelling for the Chief Engineering Officer Olsen to report. And Pavel tried to stay seated at the navigation station, but he was still tossed around.

The enemy ship. The one that was attacking Vulcan and had destroyed Starfleet’s ships was in view.

Pavel had never seen a ship like it before in his life.

_Holy. Christ. Look at that thing!_

-

Hikaru was sure he was going to die. That was a given fact of life. Everyone died.

He just hopes it won’t be today.

As he put on the gold space jumpsuit, he looked at his arm.

_Of course, I haven’t heard! I’ve been in the lab all morning._

His soulmate was always in the lab nowadays. Hikaru knows his soulmate was graduating from a school very soon. He zips up the jumpsuit and glances at Kirk, who was changing into the blue suit. The man wore a grim look, but it was a determined grim look so Hikaru figured that he could count on Kirk. CEO Olson was grinning in a way that Hikaru’s command training said was slightly manic and should be observed carefully.

Hikaru had grabbed an extendable sword from the armory at the same time they each had been issued hand phases. Olson was carrying the charges need to bring down the drill.

Pike checked them all over one time after they got into the shuttle. Kirk tried to get Pike to stay behind again, but Pike overruled him.

They left the Enterprise, avoiding all of the debris from the other ships and whatever Vulcan ships and shuttles that had escaped the surface.  The atmosphere was quickly filling with whatever ships were spaceworthy as the Vulcans realized that they needed to get off the planet.

Hikaru took a deep breath as they stood up and got into position.

The doors opened, and they fell. All Hikaru could hear was silence. Space was silent. Once they broke atmosphere, Hikaru could hear Kirk call out distances.

Watching Olson pull his parachute late was the hardest thing Hikaru had ever done. Both Kirk and he had yelled and yelled, but Olson hadn’t listened.

They didn’t even have much time to process his loss. He and Kirk had to figure out how to destroy the drill and recover transport capabilities.

Without the transporter, they can’t save lives on Vulcan.

Without the charges, they couldn’t destroy the drill.

Before they could think of a way to end the drill, Romulans came out from the drill itself and then Hikaru was fighting for his life with his sword.

As the Romulans attacked and fought with him, he was stupid glad that he had gotten all of the advanced combat training. He needed every bit of it to keep ahead of the Romulan.

Out of the corner of his eye, Hikaru could see Kirk fighting the other Romulan. And then Kirk was knocked off of the platform. The other Romulan was trying to make Kirk lose his grip on the edge of the drill.  Hikaru kicked the Romulan to the exhaust port that had eaten his parachute when he had landed. The Romulan went up in a ring of fire.

Hikaru did not think about what that meant. What he just did.

He turned and ran at the Romulan who was standing over Kirk. He drove his sword into the chest of the last Romulan.

The man tipped over and fell over the edge.

Hikaru didn’t think what that meant either.

He reached down and helped Kirk back onto the drill.

Kirk reached for one of the phases and Hikaru followed him. Hikaru saw a deep cut on the inside Kirk’s left arm. The blood was seeping weakly from the cut in Kirk’s suit. The phasors were enough to stop the drill. It was also sufficient to knock the drill over. Hikaru was knocked off balance, and he fell.

He fell, and he didn’t have a parachute to slow his fall.

It was a long way down. Looking at Vulcan as it got closer, he wanted to think it was beautiful, but he couldn't. Mostly he thought it was red. He also wished he could see what his soulmate was thinking one last time. Trying to breathe hurt. He was falling too fast to breathe. The thought that he wouldn’t meet his soulmate hurt even more.

He just wanted to meet them.

A faint call caught his attention. Hikaru turned and laid as flat as he could.  Kirk had jumped after him and was catching up to him fast. The man’s dive a little faster than Hikaru’s. When Kirk collided with him, Hikaru could hear him call up to the enterprise.

“BEAM US UP. BEAM US UP.”

Hearing Pavel yelling into the ear piece that he could do that, that he could beam them up, wasn’t as reassuring as Pavel clearly wanted it to be. They were still falling, and the ground was coming up quickly.

“ENTERPRISE, WHERE ARE YOU?!” Kirk yelled.

Then the transport beams started to cycle around them.

Hikaru tried not to hope. Didn’t even dared to breathe. Just prayed.

Then Kirk was slamming on top of him, on the transporter pad, on the Enterprise.

They were alive.

Doctors showed up, and people swept them off of the transporter pad. Now that they had transporter capabilities they would try to get as many Vulcans on board.

Kirk grimaced when the doctors, which hadn’t included the southern doctor that had been on the bridge, had seen the mess that was his left arm. The inside had gotten a deep cut, and it had sliced right through the soul marks.

Hikaru for all the fighting and falling only had bruises and some minor cuts.

Hikaru glanced at Kirk. The man had jumped off a drill with little to no guarantee that they would live. He had saved Hikaru’s life.

Hikaru Sulu would follow James Kirk anywhere.

-

When it became apparent the planet was a loss, Spock did not even hesitate. The elders were still on the surface. They needed to be saved. That would preserve the core of the Vulcan culture. Spock had the capability to save them.

That his parents were a part of the elder’s council and he could save them was as his soulmate says ‘just an added bonus.’

That was going to be the logic if anyone asks.

He gave the conn to Ensign Chekov and ran to the transporter room. Captain Pike might have argued more about who he handed the conn to, but as Captain Pike was on the Narada and not on the Enterprise, he did not get a say.

Watching Cadet and first officer Kirk and helmsman Sulu clear off the transport pad and hurrying on himself, all Spock could think was that he needed to save his parents.

His father and mother not surviving were an event he did not wish to occur.

He landed on the shaky ground of Vulcan and ran toward the protected entrance of the katraic ark. The cave was not very stable anymore. Spock dodged a few falling rocks.

The elders were at the end of the cave. Spock felt relief that his parents were with them.

The elders didn't hesitate when Spock told them to leave with him, that the planet was going to be destroyed. He counted ten elders including his parents. They all followed him as the cave began to fall apart faster as the tremors became worse. Spock pushed his mother before him. She needed his protection the most.

As they ran, Spock heard at least two of the elders die. When they reached the entrance of the cave, he saw that his hearing was correct.

He could hear Chekov telling them to stay still. There wasn’t enough distance for him to pull off another miracle if they fell. His mother was still in front of him. The tremors got worse. As Chekov started the transporter sequence, lights wrapping themselves around his body as it was prepared to be atomized, the ground in front of Spock gave way.

Taking his mother with it.

Spock threw out his hands, but he was too late.

They were transported as his mother fell. As Spock rematerialized on the Enterprise with his arm outstretched, Spock realized, that his mother was gone.

Chekov, sitting at the controls of the transporter, looked just as stunned. Spock turned to his father as they were pushed off of the transporter pad by a team of doctors. They had more people to beam up.

His father had a traditional blank look on his face, but his eyes were different. All Spock’s life he had heard that his eyes were human eyes. To emotive. Spock did not believe that if Vulcans saw the look in his father’s eyes now, they would still say the same things.

They both had felt his mother die. Their family bond with her snapping as she fell and they were transported up. Spock and his father knew that she was gone.

Sarek pushed his sleeve upon his right arm, with a hand that was faintly shaking. His mother’s last thoughts. Spock almost did not want to see the marks on his father’s arm. But his eyes caught the marks whether he liked it or not.

_Almost there. We’re almost s-_

And that was it.

Spock grabbed the sleeve of his shirt and pulled it up. The marks still burned with movement. 

_I’m never doing that again. Is he alright?_

Even if his soulmate was alright, Spock wasn't.

-

Nyota was sure Spock was not alright. In fact, she was sure none of them were alright.

They were traveling to meet up with the rest of the fleet.

They weren’t able to save more than a few dozen ships. A few escape pods from the other Starfleet vessels, but that was it. It was a total of maybe one hundred people. She had spent a lot of time telling the ships capable of independent space flight to go to Vulcan’s nearest planetary neighbor and wait for more ships.

The enemy ship that had attacked Vulcan and had destroyed the fleet had gone into warp and was out of reach. It had gone into warp toward earth.

Spock had lost his mother. Sarek had lost his wife. Both had lost a planet.

When Spock dropped Kirk with a Vulcan neck pinch and launched him out of the ship toward a place called Delta Vega, Nyota was sure something was up. He was acting more harshly than normal. He even stared at his hands after he knocked Kirk unconscious like they had experienced a new feeling.

But when he left the bridge to attend to his father in sick bay for a few moments, Nyota could not help but follow.

She signaled for the lieutenant she relieved on Capitan Pike’s orders to take her place for a few minutes. The man looked relieved that he had a job to do. She stood up and followed Spock to the turbo lift.

Spock didn’t say anything as she let the lift go down for a moment and then hit the emergency stop.

Nyota turned to Spock. He wasn’t looking at her, just at a spot on the door before him. “Spock. You are my friend, and I can see you are grieving. Tell me what you need.” She reached out and placed both her hands on his shoulders. She pushed reassuring thoughts of comfort toward him. She didn’t know if she was successful because Spock didn’t relax.

With her arms, up she could see her soulmate’s thoughts.

Trans-warp beaming _?! Beàrnan a tha an aon a 'gluasad?!! (SPACE IS THE ONE MOVING?!!)_

She ignored it.

Spock shook his head. “I just need everyone to continue to do their jobs in a professional manner.”

Nyota snorted, but she took her hands off of Spock. “You are my friend, Spock. If you need to talk about …”

“I understand the human nature to offer comfort to those that seem to need it, but I am fine,” Spock said.

Nyota’s eyes narrowed. Spock hated the word fine because of its multiple meanings. He was very vocal about his distaste for the word. He would never use it. But before she had a chance to question him Spock released the turbo lift emergency stop and they were moving back down to the deck where the medical bay resided.

Nyota took that as a dismissal. “I’ll head back up to the bridge, then, sir.”

Spock nodded. His expression was as placid as ever, but Nyota detected a hint of gratefulness in the movement. “Please let Mr. Chekov know that I will return shortly.”

“I will sir,” Nyota said as the doors to the turbo lift opened. Spock stepped out, and Nyota let the door slide shut.

She was needed on the bridge. The lieutenant who she had relieved wasn’t good enough at Vulcan to be left alone for much longer.

One last glance at her arm set her on alert. Something would happen. She just knew it.

 _Faodaidh_ _sinn seo a dhèanamh. tha e dìreach sìmplidh beachd a tha gu tur gòrach._ (We can do this. it is just a simple idea that is completely crazy.)

-

Scotty was cold. And hungry. And Tired.

So, he was trying to take a nap. He was also failing. The chair he was sitting in wasn’t very comfortable.

For once he was done with the maintenance. Not that it was doing any good. Not a peep from the comms machines for the last several hours. The last thing Keenser had received was a distress call from Vulcan. They hadn't risked going outside to see anything even though Vulcan was viable in the daylight this time of year.

The atmosphere was too much for both of them.

Honestly, he was hoping that the distress call brought with it the Starfleet resupply that he has asked for three months ago. He knew that since it was Archer who was ultimately responsible for his and Keenser’s food, that the resupply would be late. It was just he was hungry. Three months was a long time to wait between full meals.

Scotty looked at his arm. He was cold enough that he wasn't going to risk seeing the marks. His soulmate was thinking in Vulcan or Romulan the last time he looked. He hoped she was alright.

The loud banging on the door to their snow-covered building pulled him out of his thoughts. Keenser leapt to his feet and started running to the door. Scotty didn’t move.

It was Keenser’s turn to see what thing was banging now. They had a phaser that would deal with anything that could fit through the door.

The bigger beasties never tried to get into the door. They didn’t like the heat the outpost gave off.

The door stopped banging and sounded like it had opened. Well, Scotty hoped that whatever had gotten in would be something that he could eat. Keenser will still be fine.

Keenser brought back two people in thick coats. One very old Vulcan and a young blond human.  Scotty assumed they were the Starfleet resupply. The last six months he had been eating ration bars and hoping that Archer would send someone.

Now that they were here, Scotty was going to let them have it. The young blond looked surprised when Scotty started talking about food.

The Vulcan, on the other hand, looked excited. Scotty thought that excited was a weird look on a Vulcan.

“Fascinating. You are Montgomery Scott.” Experiencing the relief on a Vulcan’s face and in his voice when the Vulcan called him by name was very weird. Vulcans don’t show emotion. Why would this one? “You are the mister Scott that postulated the theory of trans-warp beaming?”

“Yes, that’s me.” Scotty said. “I’m stuck here because of an incident with Admiral Archer's dog.”

“I know that dog!” The blond man said, speaking for the first time. “What happened to it?” He was looking at Scotty with a weary look of curiosity.

“I’ll tell you when it reappears.” Scotty said looking away from the man. “I do feel bad about that, but this punishment is enough for a slight disagreement about the relativistic physics and how it pertains to subspace travel. I had to test a theory of transplanetary beaming. So, the dog was there, and well one thing lead to another, and I’m here trying to find a dog.”

“Any luck?” The blond man asked.

“No. The an cù air chall ann an rùm hasn’t shown up yet.” Scotty said as he stood up from his very uncomfortable chair. 

“The what?” the man looked lost as Scotty started to dig in the desk he was resting his feet on for a picture of the dog.

“The dog! ’The dog lost in space’! It’s what I call the dog. Here!” he said as he found the picture and shoved it at the man. It was of a thin greyhound. “Archer called it ‘Scrubs’ but I think an cù air chall ann an rùm is better.”

“What language is that?” The man said as he squinted at the picture that was shoved into his face.

“Scots Gaelic.”

“As fascinating as this is,” the Vulcan said, interrupting them both. “What if I told you that your theory is correct?”

Scotty scoffed, now completely distracted from the idea of food. “no way. I would have heard of that equation had been discovered.”

The Vulcan nodded his head. “You have not heard of it yet because you have not discovered it yet.”

“What, are you from the future?” Scotty asked. If this Vulcan was telling him that he would discover something or that his equation was right then, then they had to be from the future. That was the only possibility.

“He is. I’m not.” The blond human said. “I’m Jim Kirk. And can you get us to the Enterprise?”

“Oh.” Scotty said.

But Scotty was having a hard time believing it. The logistics of getting on the Enterprise was more than a little complicated. “Look even if I believe you, which I’m not sure that I do. Beaming onto a ship at warp is like trying to hit a bullet with a smaller bullet whilst wearing a blindfold, riding a horse.”

The Old Vulcan sat at a counsel and typed out an equation that was one of the most beautiful things Scotty had ever seen.

Being told the equation to Trans-warp Beaming because that old Vulcan was from a future where Scotty had created it? That was AWESOME.

It had never occurred to him that space was the thing that was moving rather than the ship. Although thinking about it now, it was stupidly obvious. Scotty wondered what else he should think about in new ways. Because SPACE. MOVING.

He could get them on a moving ship easily with that equation. Since he had that old transporter that he and Keenser were working on to push their experiments forward, it would be easy. Very easy.

But they were also heading to the ENTERPRISE. Scotty had been following the ship’s building for years. Before the cock up with Admiral Archer, he was going to apply for an engineering posting on the ship.

Before they got on to the platform to beam on a ship AT WARP, Kirk and the Vulcan stepped off to the side to have a quick conversation and Scotty risked the cold to see his soulmates’ thoughts. If this didn’t work, then it will be the last time he would see them.

 _hii_ _si jinsi i inatarajiwa leo kwenda. kwamba afisa kweli hakuwa na wazo jinsi ya kusoma hii, hata hilo?!_ (this is not how I expected today to go. that officer really had no idea how to read this, did he?!)

Scotty smiled at the obvious frustration that his soulmate felt. He wondered where she was. He hoped she was alright.

“Ok. I’m ready. Let’s do this.” Kirk said, with one last look at the Vulcan.

Scotty nodded at Keenser. “Energize.”

The feeling of beaming was correct. Scotty landed them on a ship. So that was correct too. His aim in the ship was a bit off. Rematerializing on in water was one of the weirdest feelings Scotty had ever experienced.

Ten out of ten would not recommend.

-

Ben hated not knowing where his soulmate was. Not knowing what ship they were on. Not knowing if they were alive or not.

Ben hated it.

At least he knew his soulmate wasn’t on Vulcan.

He had been in one of the Biology labs when the news that Vulcan was in trouble started. For the first hour, Ben had no idea that cadets from Starfleet Academy were sent out to help. He didn’t know how serious this event all was.

“Ben, have you seen this?!”

When he was greeted by his lab mate as he was leaving, Ben felt his stomach drop. The news anchor was reading out that an unnatural catastrophe was occurring on Vulcan and that Starfleet was sending help.

The news anchor didn’t seem concerned much about the emergency happening on Vulcan, just a news segment of the Starfleet Academy being asked to fill ranks and help support the efforts, so Ben tried to put it out of his mind. He went home.

But everywhere he went or stopped at the news was playing and it was progressively getting worse and worse. By the time, Ben got to the last bus and forced himself to sit down and breathe; he checked his arm.

_I forgot the parking brake! How did I do that on a starship?!_

Ben took a deep breath. His soulmate was safe.

His soulmate was in Starfleet. Maybe they weren’t there at Vulcan, but maybe they were. Either way, his soulmate was safe.

When Ben walked into his shared apartment, one of his roommates, a woman, named Saiko, who had three soulmates and thought at least one of them was in Starfleet, was staring at the news playing on the screen.

The reporter read information from Starfleet. “The situation on Vulcan has gotten worse. Please stay off of the interplanetary com lines, Starfleet is asking the people of San Francisco….”

Ben dropped his book bag on the floor. All of his attention was on the news report.

“…Starfleet has confirmed that they have lost contact with many of the ships that had left space dock about an hour ago. They also say that the emergency at Vulcan may be causing this radio silence. And ask everyone to be….” The reporter continued.

Saiko turned to Ben, “Ben, isn’t your soulmate from Starfleet too? Are they ok?”

“They were about thirty minutes ago when I looked last. Let me check.” Ben told her. He took off his jacket so he could see his right arm. “

For a moment, all Ben saw was:

 _Thank_ _God, I can fence._

Then it changed a blurring of black letters that faded for a moment and then reformed as clear as ever.

_I’m going to die falling off a fucking space drill. Oh shit._

But that faded and changed too.

_KIRK?! The man jumped after me. We’re both going to die._

Ben numbly walked to the couch, eyes still on the marks as they changed and sat down. The motion was more of a collapse than a carefully controlled sit. He didn’t think he was breathing.

“Ben?” Saiko asked. She was standing over him, but Ben’s attention was still glued to his arm.

_I’m alive?! Holy fuck. I’m alive._

Ben took a deep breath. Alive. Dimly he realized that his soulmate never cursed before. Even in his thoughts, he had never cursed. Ben supposed surviving falling off a space drill would cause that. The marks changed once more.

_I’ll follow that man anywhere. He saved my life._

Ben supposed that he would have to thank whoever saved his soulmate’s life. They saved Ben's life too. This Kirk fellow. He would thank him.

“What about you, Saiko?” he asked. “Are you soulmates alright?”

Saiko shook her head. “I don’t know. I can’t speak any of their languages. Two of them aren’t changing as quickly as before. One of them is normal.”

The news reporter was still talking in the background. “…getting in that Starfleet is saying that there was a battle over Vulcan’s space. And the Federation has lost some of its best ships. The USS Enterprise, commissioned early for this rescue mission, is the only reported survivor of seven ships of various classes sent in….”

Ben looked at Saiko, who was reading Ben’s arm with fascination. If his soulmate is alive and the USS Enterprise is the only surviving ship. Ben put two and two together. “My soulmate is on the Enterprise.”

Saiko looked at him and knew. Her soulmates probably weren't on the Enterprise. Her eyes started to fill with tears.

But then the rest of what the reporter was saying broke in. “…and Starfleet is telling us of … what? That Vulcan, home to over six billion people, mostly Vulcans themselves, ... Has been destroyed. Destroyed? Is that correct? How? Starfleet has no comment, and the Federation does not either at this time. We will report….”

Ben and Saiko were left staring at the screen.

_Oh, my God. Where is Vulcan?!_

The next ten hours were the worst of his life.

Watching the news as it happens and seeing his soulmate’s thoughts about an hour to ten minutes before the reporter said anything made the process painful. He knew that something was coming to earth, but he didn’t know what but his soulmate did.

_Shit if they get to earth it will be all over!_

And when the ship appeared in the sky of over California, because it was viable from Los Angeles to Washington, it was not a surprise that it focused most of the weapons’ power at San Francisco. The reporters were going nuts.

It started to drill into the earth. Right in the San Franciscan Bay.

Then it stopped.

And then it FELL.

Over the golden gate bridge.

And then his soulmate was thinking,

_Wait for the right moment and attack._

And what did that mean!?

Ben just hoped that his soulmate would survive this all. He didn’t like this at all.

If he were going to be a Starfleet husband, he would have to get used to this type of panic. But for now, he and Saiko sat and watched the news. And hoped and prayed.

_Oh, thank God._

-

Jim Kirk did not want to do this.

As he beamed on to the Enterprise, he knew the next hour would be a painful experience. First, he was trying to get Scotty out of the coolant water pipes. Then he was running from security and trying to get the bridge.

But what he wasn’t looking forward to most was this:

Compromising Spock.

When the old Vulcan had saved him, and looked at him with visible emotion and called him by name, it was surprising.

When the old Vulcan said that they were old friends and that he would always be his friend that was more so.

“Bullshit. You aren’t Spock. You can’t be Spock. If you were, you would know that we hate each other.” Jim had told him. Spock had launched him to this ice ball of a planet and hadn’t listened to a word he had said. 

Whatever fascination he had felt when first saw Spock at the hearing was clearly unimportant and a product of Jim’s mind. Not a product of any shared interest. 

The old Vulcan has seemed amused for a moment. Then moved on to the situation at hand.

He had warned Jim that emotional transference would be a side effect of the meld. Jim had thought it would just be anger or grief from the loss of Vulcan, but it was more.

The only thing that transferred from the meld that wasn’t directly about Vulcan or that crazed Romulan was a sense of deep, long-lasting grief.

There was the pain of losing one’s planet and being the cause of the destruction, as expected. But the grief Jim felt was deeper.

It was like his mother’s.

It was the pain of having lost a soulmate.

The word T’hy’la briefly came to mind, but Jim dismissed it. He had heard the word faintly in the meld. He didn’t know what that Vulcan word meant, but it pulled at Jim’s very soul in a way he didn’t understand.

As the guards pulled and pushed Jim and Scotty toward the bridge, one of them pushed Jim’s left arm. The pain that flared sharp and hard, right over Jim’s soul marks. Jim had gotten used to the low-level burning that had been with him all day. This new pain caused him to breathe deep and slow. This pain was the gash the Romulan with a sword inflicted on him on the drill.

The doctors had treated him at the transporter room, but Bones had bandaged the cut up once they were in warp. Before Spock had thrown Jim out of the ship toward an ice ball. With Jim’s immune system being a little funky from the allergic reaction he had earlier, Bones hadn’t been able to heal the cut fully.

As they were pushed into the turbo lift, Jim had the horrifying realization that his soulmate was Vulcan.

They might not be alive anymore.

And he couldn’t check his arm to see if his soulmate was alive.

His arm had been burning all day. From the academic hearing that morning to just before the drill jump. But during the fight on the drill, he had gotten cut.

Bones had said that the arm was all cut up. That it wasn’t a clean wound. That he could not even make out there were words on his arm, let alone read them.

So, Bones didn’t know. And Jim didn’t know. They didn’t know if his soulmate, the one who got him through Tarsus iv and other help to encourage him to go to Starfleet, was alive.

Jim let none of this show on his face. If Bones thought his soulmate had died, then Bones would have told him. Bones was blunt and reassuring like that.

Seeing Spock and taunting him was the hardest thing Jim did.

Scotty didn’t know the plan other than getting to the bridge. He was doing excellently by not taking sides when ordered to. His refusal would help to undermined Spock’s command. It would make the next bit easier.

Well. For everyone else.

He knew Vulcan’s had emotions.

He could see it when Spock appeared on the transporter pad without his mother. The sheer look of pain that had crossed over Spock's face was enough to convince him even if he didn't have a Vulcan soulmate. 

He was aware that his soulmate had – has – feelings. That Spock’s father was grieving too; he had been responsive, but anyone who had met the man had seen clearly that he was grieving. The meld with Old Spock was pretty clear that at least Spock grieved.

Greif was an emotion that the Vulcans had. It was up to Jim to find out if anger was one to. 

“How is it to not grieve for the woman who loved you?” Jim spat out, hating himself. He needed to be in control of the ship. Jim needed to do this to save earth.  But he hated doing this. “To never have loved her in the first place!”

Jim wasn’t expecting to be attacked, shoved up against the navigation counsel and nearly choked to death. His arm was on fire, worse than before at the academic hearing this morning. When he first saw Spock. Now with Spock’s hands on his throat, his arm was ablaze.

For a heartbeat, Jim hoped that if his arm was burning like it was, that it meant that Jim's soulmate was thinking at him. 

The hand around his throat tightened for a moment, and Jim feared the worse for a split-second and then Spock’s dad was calling him off.

Spock let him go, and Jim just dropped. He landed on the navigation counsel. Where Spock had touched, Jim felt pain and a spark of something that Jim wasn’t sure what it was. It was a pleasure but not. It was mixed signals. Jim tried to regain his voice. He rubbed at his throat.

“Doctor, please make a note of this in the ship’s log. I am emotionally compromised by the mission at hand. I cannot remain in command.” Spock told Bones. Bones just nodded with a surprised and horrified look on his face that was mirrored by everyone on the bridge. With that Spock walked out the door with his father in tow.

“Well, what do you want to do now, Jim?” Bones asked, cutting his gaze to Jim. Jim thought the glare was harsh and unnecessary, but Bones would deal. “We don’t have a Capitan nor a goddamn first officer to replace him!”

Sulu piped up from where he and the Russian navigator had moved after escaping the wrath of an upset Vulcan. “Yes, we do. Pike made him,” at this Sulu nodded toward Jim, who was getting up and moving to the Capitan seat, “The First Officer.”

Jim sat down in the Capitan’s chair.

Bones swore. “Are you kidding me?!”

“Thanks for the support, Bones,” Jim told him. That shut Bones up for a moment but Jim knew that the time they were alone, Bones would go to town on him.

Jim didn’t look down at his arm. It still burned. He hoped that the sharp pain was the injury and the bringing was a sign of his soulmate being alive. He didn’t have time to think about it anymore. He had Earth to save.

-

As much as she wanted to, Nyota wasn’t going to follow Spock. She had dismissed the lieutenant she had replaced the moment she could. The man hadn’t been performing well under pressure, and they were all very much under pressure.

She went up to Kirk and told him that she hoped he knew what he was doing.

At the same time, the Scottish man who had appeared in engineering came up to Jim.

“Kirk? Or is it Sir now? I don’t know. Anyway. Where do you want me? I mean after I dry off? I’m feeling a bit numb at the moment. The water was cold as ice!” the man said. He was still dripping in the heavy, wet winter clothing. Nyota knew they had dropped Kirk at Delta Vega, a small planetoid that was covered in ice.

She wasn’t aware that Starfleet had a station there, but it wasn’t a surprise. She wondered why that planetoid didn’t come up in her search for the coldest places Starfleet had a base.

“Scotty, was it?” Jim said. He looked the man up and down and nodded. “If you are as good as that Trans-warp beaming equation was then, I’ll need you in engineering. Get a red shirt and get dry. We lost our Chief Engineer. I’m promoting you to that. If you can think you can handle that?”

The man, who Nyota noticed was charming, nodded. “Aye. I can do that. I’ll get a red shirt.”

Nyota spoke up. “I’ll comm the quartermaster and engineering to prepare for your arrival. What’s your name?” she told the pair. Jim glanced at her gratefully, the beginnings of the Jim Kirk smile starting on his face. Like a plan of his was coming together.

The Scottish man coughed, “Scotty. Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott. Please call me Scotty.” The man introduced himself. “I would offer you my hand but I’m so cold I can’t feel my arms very well.”

Nyota noticed her right arm burn.

That caused her to pause. Her arm burned. To be specific, her marks burned. The only time the marks burn was if a person’s soulmate thinks of them after they have met.

She has met her soulmate.

She looked at the only new person she had just met.

Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott.

She took a moment focused on the man in front of her, and when his hand twitched, but that was the only reaction, she ignored the feeling.

He did say he was almost numb. If they survived, then Nyota would find him again. She knew his name after all.

She was pretty sure this man, Scotty as he wanted to be called,(who apparently invented a Trans-warp beaming equation that worked!) was her soulmate.

That would explain the Scotts Gaelic.

She would find him. Once they were out of a crisis, she would find him. 

That’s was when Bones snuck up behind them all and hypoed Jim and Scotty.

“That’s for the hypothermia. Damned ice planets. After all, this is said and done I’ll need you in my offices to make sure nothing worse has occurred to you both got it?!” Bones sent a glare to both Scotty and Jim, waving a hypospray to make sure they understood his threat.

Nyota giggled. It was the first one she had all day, and it took her by surprise. It took all of them by surprise. Jim smiled a little wider, Bones just looked to the side and muttered something under his breath, and Scotty just looked at her, with a slight flush on his face. She didn’t know if it was from the returning feelings from the hypo or her.

Either way.

They would be all right.

When Scotty left, she looked at her arm as she called the quartermaster and main engineering to tell them that he was coming down and to be ready.

 _Is_ _toil leam an long seo. tha i brèagha. Saoil cò a bha na Oifigear Conaltraidh? Chan urrainn dhomh feitheamh gus faighinn a ruith mo làmhan air feadh an Enterprise._ (i like this ship. She is beautiful. I wonder who that communications officer was? She seemed kind. I can't wait to get to run my hands all over the enterprise)

Good, so he did notice her. If they survive this all, she wants to see the man behind the thoughts.

-

Landing on the transporter pad after attempting to run the Jellyfish space ship into the Romulan ship, was close to unexpected.

Spock had experienced doubts that he would survive the explosion. Hearing the new chief engineer, a Mister Scott, cheering in the background make him look around.

The infuriating and fascinating cadet turned infuriating and fascinating captain, Jim Kirk was standing next to him, grinning as he carried Captain Pike. Although Spock knew Pike was alive and well from the stolen memories from the Romulan crewman, it was still a relief to see him.

Pike was quickly taken away from the scene by Dr. McCoy and a team of nurses.  The captain was already arguing about how he should be treated. McCoy was already priming a hypospray.

Spock turned to Kirk, and Kirk grinned. He was stepping off of the transporter pad. Spock’s arm was burning lightly, but as Spock hurt in so many places that he discounted the feeling.

They ran their way to the bridge. The crew members in the halls were moving out of the way as they recognized their first officer and temporary Capitan. Spock’s mind took notice of all the damage in the hallways and on the bulkheads. Once they got finished with the Narada, the Romulan ship, they would need to start repairs. As they got into the turbo lift and Spock called out “Bridge!”, Kirk turned to him.

“You doing all right there Mr. Spock?” Kirk looked like he was close to falling over himself. But there was a determined look in his eyes.

Spock nodded. “I am, Captain.”

Kirk jumped a bit at the word ‘Captain.' “Totally not used to being called that,” Kirk said as he rubbed the back of his head with his hand. Spock noticed the white bandages on the other man’s left arm.

“You did, rather recently, take that post,” Spock told him. “Whether you will get used to it or not is up to Starfleet command to decide.”

“Well yes, but I am sorry for what I said to get the position.” Kirk put his hand back down. Spock’s arm still burned. He wondered what his soulmate was thinking now and why they had been thinking about him all day.

“Once I… calmed down. I realized why you said what you said.” Spock told him. “Apologies are unnecessary. You did what was necessary” The conversation Spock had with his father before returning to the bridge helped him calm down.

His father said that he loved Spock's mother. That Sarek married Amanda because of that love. That she was the other half of his soul. That it was alright to grieve for her.

That it was alright to feel anger at the people who took her from them.

“Well, I still am,” Kirk told him as the doors to the turbo lift chimed.

After receiving a quick update from Navigator Ensign Chekov, Kirk demanded to hail the Narada. Out of the corner of his eye, Spock could see Nyota rushing to obey the captain’s orders. Spock stood at Kirk’s side in front of the screen. The blurred face of Nero, the captain of the Narada, appeared. Most of his crew was gone.

Something telling him this is why he joined Starfleet. For something the VSA never could give him. And it had to do with this man who stood next to him. He wasn’t just an infuriating and fascinating cadet.

He was the very thing Starfleet needed.

Spock pushed the thought away and listened to the conversation.

Kirk offered Nero, a chance for help, an opportunity to be saved. Spock took that statement in. ‘We are willing to provide.’

Spock turned around to hide his voice and expressions from the Romulans and asked Kirk what he was doing. When Kirk told, him it was compassion, it was to prevent strife with the Romulan Empire; it was logical, Spock had to agree. But he didn’t think he was going to be rational about any of this.

“Not this time.” He told Kirk. Kirk was saved from making any response to that by Nero’s spat insult, that Nero would rather suffer death than get help from the Enterprise.

Kirk and Spock agreed. They fired everything at the Narada.

As the Narada disappeared into the singularly created by the red matter on the Jellyfish, Spock watched from his station. Kirk called for them to get out of the area.

Lieutenant Sulu quickly ran his hands over the navigation board. When after a moment of movement and they still hadn’t left, Spock became concerned.

“Why aren’t we at warp?” Kirk asked. His voice was hard and demanding. Like a captain’s voice.

Chekov answered for Sulu, who was frantically still pressing on the navigation counsel. “We are captain!”

Kirk immediately called down to engineering. Mr. Scott told them they were caught in a gravity well. They were going to be sucked into the singularly.

Kirk demanded they go to maximum warp. Mr. Scott told them that he was giving them all she’s got.

“That’s not good enough Scotty. We need more! What do you got!?” Kirk yelled. Spock glanced around and saw that there were cracks in the screen and hull. If they want to remain pressurized and survive and go home, they had to do something soon.

“If we eject the warp core and detonate it we might! Might be able to escape.” As Mr. Scott announced that, Spock was already running the calculations for a successful flight. While the numbers were not ideal, the chances of success were higher than any other idea that Spock had come up with.

Kirk did not even glance Spock’s way. “DO IT. DO IT. DO IT.”

The bridge and a moment of utter stillness and they waited to see if they would survive. Once the screen was clear and it became evident that the ship was clear and safe from the singular, the badge crew began to relax.

They did it. They had survived.

Spock took a deep breath and reached for his sleeve. They were out of danger. He needed to see what his soulmate was thinking about now.

His soulmate always grounded him at his worst. Now that he was at his most relieved he wanted to see what they thought.

What he found was not the words in standard that he had come to expect.

Spock stared at his arm in confusion. It was a mess of swirls and smeared writing. The only things he could make out was two words in the middle. _We’re alive._ And that was it.

Spock had heard things about people having smeared marks. The effect tended to happen when the other soulmate, for whatever reason, got their marks covered up. Bandages, tattoos, soul mark covers, and sometimes even gauntlets, would create the effect.

His soulmate had never once done this before. Not even after the horrible event in their childhood. Spock wondered what had happened to make his soulmate cover their marks now.

Nyota’s voice cut through his musings. “Captain. I’m getting deck reports from all over the ship. We’ve obviosity lost warp power. Medical needs more room and trained hands. The refugees are still safe in the secure part of the ship. Decks 11, 45, and 7, all have hull breaches.”

Kirk stood from the Captain’s chair. He looked around and then began to give orders. “Chekov and Sulu, find out exactly where we are and how long it will take us to get home. Uhura, update Starfleet as they see fit.  Tell medical to pull all medically trained hands, and they can use the mess on deck 8 as triage if they need it. Spock, is there a conference room or something that they can place the noncritical patients for overflow near their location?” Chekov and Sulu both turned back to the navigation counsel to get started on their orders. Nyota also just turned back, and her hands began to fly over the communicator counsel.

Spock thought about ship’s layout for a second then nodded. “Yes. There are two that would be large enough.  I will make arrangements.”

“Good. Uhura,” Kirk said, catching Nyota’s attention again. “tell Medical they will have their space and tell McCoy I’m not any worse than before and I’ll see him once things have calmed down.” Nyota nodded and relayed the message. Kirk then pressed a button on the captain’s chair. “Engineering, tell me what we have and don’t have?”

Mr. Scott’s voice came out stressed and slightly upset. “Well, it’s not much Capitan. We’ve obviously lost the warp cores, so we’re down to impulse power. If we’re out of the Sol system, then it will take us weeks to crawl back home. Without the core, we’re also down about seventy-five percent of normal operating power. If the science labs don’t operate then maybe we’ll be okay. But that may change.”

“There isn’t much new damage here in engineering, but I’m getting reports that the gravity well caused a lot of fissures and broken systems. All the damage down here is stuff from before I got to the ship. But I’m being told that most of the Engineering staff have lost their quarters in the battle, so we’ll need to find a place to sleep at some point. I’ve already started to divide teams into the areas that need fixing.” Spock respected Mr. Scott’s ability to create solutions to the large problems.

“Good Scotty,” Kirk said. “We’ll do our best about the sleeping situation. It may be a while we’ll get to that though.”

“Not a problem. Now let me fix this beautiful ship. Scott out.” Kirk gave a small smile.

“Get me the repair parties,” Kirk told Nyota.

Spock pulled up a crew roster on the science station and who was assigned were. Asking the computer to filter out the dead and those in medical, he started to get crews into teams that would help recover the ship enough to get back to earth.

It was going to take them weeks to get home on thrusters. They would be out of range of help for days at least. They would have to do their best to survive the trip back.


	5. Chapter 5

Bones hadn’t been so exhausted in years.

Not when he was in residency as a doctor just out of med school. Not when Joanna was a two-week-old, and she would not sleep more than three hours at a time. Not when he was staying up helping Jim though night terrors and helping Joanna and Kevin though a fever during finals week that first year at the academy.

In the last twenty-four hours, he had done more surgeries than he could count. His nurses were conducting triage on everyone as fast as they could. His few breaks were spent checking on Pike, after they had recovered him, or being on the bridge. Advising as much as he could.

Not that he could do much. He was just a doctor after all.

The ship was going to make it home, but it will take at least three weeks before they were in the Sol system. Earth was only four days later. If they receive help from Starfleet's other ships, then Jim told Bones that they might make the trip home faster, but it was unlikely that they would get much help. The Lutetian system, where most of the fleet’s ships were, was a good week’s worth of travel with warp from where the Enterprise had ended up. The few ships that were left might not be ordered to come to help the Enterprise.

Bones sighed. He was wondering toward the officer’s mess, trying to get a bite to eat before he collapsed into a bed for the first time since yesterday before Jim’s hearing. He didn’t believe it was only one Terran day. The mess hall on deck eight, the primary mess, was now his triage and sickbay overflow area. It was the largest closest room near sickbay. They were also using another conference room to help keep the beds in sickbay clear for the critical patients.

And there were so many of those. Most of the worse ones weren’t from the Enterprise, dispute the damage the battle did. The most critical patients were the few survivors from the other ships. They had managed to pick up at least two dozen escape pods from the other ships, each carrying at least three people. Most were horribly injured or burned. Some had space exposure wounds. The Enterprise also had picked up as many Vulcans as the could. Most of the Vulcans they had saved were physically unscathed, but mentally, Bones didn’t know.

Bones hadn’t been feeling too great himself. He was exhausted. His arm had burned while they were on the bridge trying to plan on what to do next, either to join up with the fleet or to save Earth. He had gotten out of surgery just before coming up the bridge, at the time, so he figured his arm had been a little tired.

He wondered about the seventeen-year-old Russian that was on the bridge. That kid was young and beautiful, and that caught Bones off guard. He didn’t understand half of what the kid was saying.

But it seemed that Jim and Spock did. The Russian was terrifyingly intelligent. Bones had heard rumors of a young kid studying at the Academy, but he had thought it was like most stories he had heard. Just a load of bullshit.

But no. The Russian navigator was young and smart.

Bones spared a thought for his own soulmate. He really hadn’t had much time between surgeries to look at what they were thinking. He just hadn’t had time. Bones resolved to look tonight before he went to sleep.

“Bones!” Jim’s voice was relieved. Bones looked up and saw that Jim was coming from the other direction, walking toward him. The seventeen-year-old navigator was walking behind him looking like a sleepy puppy. Bones thought that the boy looked cute like that. The kid must have worn himself out being terrifying smart on the bridge.  “Have you eaten yet?”

Bones felt his left arm burn when he raised it to wave at Jim. He realized that he must be more tired than he thought if his arms hurt from trying to wave. He noticed Chekov absently place his hand over his right forearm. Something about that move caught Bones’ attention. He put the thought off until he’s had more sleep and had time to think about it.

Bones shook his head as Jim and Chekov got closer. “Not yet, I haven’t. I was just heading to the mess.” Bones pointed down the next hallway. “I was gonna eat then hit the hay. You better be doing the same.” He glared at Jim.

Jim laughed, it was a tired and slightly forced sound. “I am! I am! Come on. We both need food.” Jim waved to the exhausted Chekov. Bones turned and walked toward the mess.

As they entered and found a place in line, Bones looked around and noticed it wasn’t as crowded as he thought it would be. Surely it wasn’t as late as that, was it? The officer’s mess was considerably smaller than the full mess on deck eight. Chekov seemed to notice his gaze.

“Most of the rest of the crew has already eaten, Doctor,” Chekov said. Bones started at the realized that he was caught staring around blankly. “You told them to eat hours ago. We’re the last ones.”

Jim hummed. “I think Spock and some of the other Vulcans are the last ones not to eat. But they all say they won’t be able to anyway.”

“I don’t doubt that. Their telepathy is weird right now.” Bones told Jim. “Now I’m going to ignore what you put in with your card. Normally I wouldn’t, but we all need to up the calorie intake. But the next meal better be balanced or else!” Bones pulled a hypospray out of his pocket and threated Jim with it. Chekov giggled as he reached the replicator.

“Or else what Bones? I had to borrow Spock’s meal card anyway. It’s all vegetarian options anyway.” Bones stopped putting his card into the replicator and narrowed his eyes at Jim.

“What do you mean, you had to ‘borrow Spock’s meal card’?” Bones said lowly.

“Spock wasn’t going to use it. The quartermaster was already asleep, and I’m not supposed to be on the ship anyway, so I’m borrowing it.” Jim told him. He glanced at the screen of the replicator and imputed the largest vegetarian meal that the ship had to offer. Bones made a note to force Spock to eat by tomorrow or else he would be the one to get a hypo to the neck.

Chekov muttered something in Russian and smiled when the replicator created something that smelled to Bones like ham and potatoes and cabbage. Bones’ brain caught on that smile for a moment before Bones pushed the thought away to place his order with the other replicator and to get his meal.

Jim lead them to a table. It was in the corner of the mess. Chekov sat and just started to dig into his food. Bones did the same but at a slower pace. Jim ate in small bites, carefully measuring the portions of his food. Bones hid a wince. Jim must be exhausted if he was falling back to the patterns from after Taurus.

“Have you had a chance to speak to Kevin or Joanna?” Jim asked.

Bones shook his head. “No, not really. I’ve been in sickbay for the last four hours. We finally got through most of the worse cases. We found Gaila, Jim.”

Whatever Jim was going to say was completely forgotten. “Gaila? She’s alive?! Is she alright!?” Jim leaned forward demanded answers from bones using a tone that Bones had never heard before. It was a voice that sounded like a Capitan. Must be something he learned in the last day.

“Yes. She was on the Farragut. She managed to get into an escape pod with several others, but it had been damaged. She and a Deltan were the only ones who survived. She’ll wake up in a few hours.” Bones assured Jim. “She was suffering from space exposure, but she will be okay in the long run.”

Jim leaned back, smiling faintly. “Oh good. I’ll see her tomorrow.”

Chekov asked, “Will you be fine, yourself, doctor? You look tired!” His blond curls caught the light and made Bones want to run his fingers through them. Bones’ left arm burned with the urge. He gripped the fork tighter to ignore it. He must be tired.

“I'm all right, kid. You’re the one looking tired.” He told Chekov gruffly.

“Da. I am sleepy. It’s been a long time since I did the calculation by hand. Makes me tired. Makes my arm hurt. So much writing.” Chekov said waving his right arm.

“Then get some rest, Chekov. I’ll see you on the bridge in twelve hours at least. No earlier. Spock won’t let us up there before then.” Jim said as Chekov stood. “Get some sleep.”

“I will captain.” And then Chekov was gone.

 Bones was left trying not to stare at the young man who was leaving. He turned his attention back to Jim. Jim was trying to fall asleep in his vegetarian stew. Bones wondered what was with him and that young man. Too young. But smart enough to be stationed on the Enterprise. Why had he captured Bones’ attention?

“I’m going to message Kevin and JoJo, Bones. you also look like you need to sleep.” Jim said glancing at Bones as he eased another small spoonful of stew into his stew.

Bones snorted. “That’s the pot calling the kettle black. But I’m anxious about them Jim. I’ll call them with you.”

“I won’t be calling tonight. Bones. No one will. We don’t have enough power at the moment. It’s just going to be a message tell them we’re all right and that they will be okay for three weeks.” Jim said to him. He was nearly done with his stew. Bones was nearly done with his food too. “Please head to bed; I’ll take care of the kids.”

“You’ve been taking care of this crew. Where are you planning to sleep?” Bones asked. Knowing that since he snuck Jim on that meant Jim didn’t have a place to sleep, officially. If Jim didn’t have a place to sleep, then Bones would offer his floor. He didn’t have much room, and he’s still on call, but it was better than nothing.

Jim smiled. “The rec room is now being used as temporary sleeping quarters for anyone who lost theirs in the fight. Engineering lost most of their quarters, but they all insisted on sleeping near engineering. It’s about fifty of us who have no beds. Some of them give up their quarters for the Vulcan refugees. I’m proud of them.” He stood and picked up his tray. Bones followed suit. “it’ll be a tight fit, but everyone will have a sleeping mat at least.”

They walked out of the officer’s mess together. The rec room was in the opposite direction then Bones quarters. “Bones. Go to sleep.” Jim told him. “I’ll message JoJo and Kevin. You try to contact them tomorrow.”

“Fine. Fine. fine.” Bones said. He was exhausted.

When he got back to his quarters, he didn’t even take a shower. He just pulled off his shirt and pants and fell right into bed. Just before he closed his eyes, he saw his marks. They were blurry like the person was sleeping.

Well, his soulmate had the right idea. And Bones went to sleep.

 _я так устал. я так счастлив, что мы живы. тот доктор был симпатичный. грубый, но симпатичный_ (i am so tired. I’m so happy we're alive. that doctor was cute. gruff but cute)

-

“Sir? The starboard number two phasor banks are now fully operational.” The grease covered engineer told Scotty when Scotty walked into engineering’s main deck.

“Oh good! What's left there that needs to be looked at?” Scotty said the girl. She tilted her head, a sign from her species that meant yes.

Scotty nodded back. “Ok get them done!” The engineer tilted her head again and left Scotty to direct the order of operations for the day.

He started by taking apart the primary port compositors. They were almost useless on the whole, but they had some working parts. He needed them.

When Scotty beam to board following Jim Kirk, he didn't expect to be placed in charge of the most beautiful set of engines he's ever seen. He had been following the enterprise is construction with hopes of escaping Delta Vega. He hadn't expected to see them up close anytime soon. Being stuck on a punishment detail on Delta Vega was not a fun experience. He had felt like all the discoveries were happening without him. He really didn't care for his name on any of the discoveries, but he just wanted to see them happen. To work on the engines and machines that came from such discoveries.

Delta Vega had been isolating.

Being on the enterprise was so much better.

Now that he was elbow deep in the remains of the primary port compensators trying to sort out what was good and what wasn't. Both starboard and port primary compensators were gone, destroyed in the battles, and they were relying on the secondary set to get them home.

The secondary set of compensators were barely running, as it was. Held together with a hope and a prayer and the remains of the primaries. Scotty had half a dozen systems that were in similar situations. He also had to worry about the power consumption throughout the ship. While the science labs, communication labs, engineering labs and all other nonessential programs were down, the ship still used a lot of power. Med Bay took most of the power. Its need for power was more than its normal operations. They still had a lot of injured and ill.  Then after the med bay, the next major power user was engineering itself. To keep moving forward toward home required lots of power.

Scotty was running teams into the ground trying to get everything fixed. They had three shifts going. It was supposed to allow for sleeping and eating, but they were engineers. Every chance they had they were working on something.  But the engineers seem to like it anyway. Scotty was sure that almost none of them have slept in the last week more than a few hours a night. They were still at least three weeks out from Earth.

Anyone who was well enough to work was being put to work. Mostly in damage control parties but if any crew member had any engineering ability or training, they were sent to the engineers. The small tasks that needed to be done and gages that needed to be watched and recorded were all things Scotty could place an inexperienced crewman on and leave an experienced engineer free to work on a bigger project.

They had a small set of Vulcans who volunteered. The Vulcans were VSA students or pre-VSA students. Only about ten of them. Four of them were children. The Vulcans were all very skilled and very traumatized. The kids, as Scotty like to think of them, were very young. The youngest was about twelve. But the others were in their late teens.  They were all very good at engineering and in their free time they followed around Spock, while he wasn't on the bridge, like ducklings. The youngest were the only ones that Scotty made stick to the schedule.

Most of the Vulcans volunteered their efforts if they were well enough to do so. But most of them did not have engineering backgrounds. Some of the lucky ones have been farmers, artists, educators. It seemed most communities sent those who were the best at what they did to escape first. It was a very logical reaction to seeing their planet destroyed. Children were also sent to escape first too. Now they had a lot of Vulcans who needed something to do while they grieved without showing it. Many of them went to work. Scotty understood working as a form of grieving.

And so, did his soulmate apparently.

He had seen the change in his marks a couple of hours after they ejected the warp core and had gotten away from the new singularity. Scotty's arm has been numbing from the ice-cold world of Delta Vega, and the ice-cold trip through the central water coolant flow until that point. When he did finally get all the feeling back in his fingers, he was stunned to look are his arm to read

_I will find him later. If we survive. He's mine after all._

Scotty put together his soulmates meaning rather quickly. His soulmate had been in danger too. They had meant someone they wanted to meet again. And if they think that this man was theirs... Then it would mean that they believe that they have met Scotty!

Scotty count remembers his arm burning. But he had been so cold for so long that it was possible he had missed it. He missed it when his arm had burned when his marks appeared when he was a child.

The burn only lasted a meeting or two or maybe a day or two. At best.  After that trying to find out if a person was your soulmate was a giant guessing game. It was based on marks and thoughts. Scotty was kicking himself for missing his chance to meet his soulmate.

But they were on this ship at least. And with how busy he was down in engineering eh hadn’t had the opportunity to find her. And since she hadn’t come looking for him, Scotty assumed that she was as busy as he was.

But he still didn’t know where she was on the ship. Just that she survived.

That narrows the search down to about six hundred people. And they had three weeks to get home. He would figure this out. He would fix the ship, protect his soulmate on the trip back home to earth and figure this out.

He could do this.

“Bridge to Engineering!” the nearest comm unit hear him raised him thought process. The voice was from absolutely beautiful communication officer who was on the Alpha Shift.

Scotty walked up to the panel and depressed the speaker button. “This is Engineering; this is Scotty.”

“The captain wants an update!” the communication officer said. He thinks her name is Uhura, but in the confusion of the battle, he wasn’t fully sure. He wanted to know though. Something about her caught his attention. Scotty began to give a necessary update to her. He wanted to know more about the ship overall, but for now, he would be happy to have Engineering running well. Uhura understood what Scotty was telling her and was relaying the message.

Scotty thanked her and returned to the compensators. They needed to get done.

 _kama_ _yeye kufanya kazi kama mimi ni, hatutaweza kuwa na muda wa kukutana!_ (if he's working like I am, we won't have time to meet!)

-

In between trying to keep the comm systems up and directing traffic throughout the ship, Nyota didn’t have any free time. And that was something she desperately wanted.

But the ship came first. Her soulmate would understand. He seemed half in love with the ship anyway.

Not that Nyota minded that idea. She was half in love herself.

Kirk had promoted her to Chief communications officer. Nyota loved it. She was trying to get a handle on her new position and keep the comms up and running. She now had twenty different people reporting to her directly, and she was still officially a cadet.

She had some problems with one of her more senior officers not wanting to follow her orders, in the first day or two after they excepted the singularity, But Nyota quickly shut that problem down.

That officer, a man who was chosen by Pike to join him on the Enterprise like Spock has been selected, was the most senior communications officer. He didn’t think she, as an inexperienced cadet, would be capable of being the head of the Enterprise’s communication department.

When she not only corrected his mistakes in translating Vulcan to Standard and kept the commutations station from becoming a very high-tech brick, but she also kept her original assignment from before they reached Vulcan and dealt with being the officer in charge of communications, did the man admit he was wrong.

She had to keep him as her second in command, so she didn’t gloat too much. But if she had a choice then she would not have the man on her team at all.

Still. In the last week and a half, all Nyota had done is work. And work and work.

She knew where her soulmate was. She knew how to reach him. But she wanted more than just a ‘Hello, I’m your soulmate! Pleased to meet you now let’s get back work and not talk for three days straight.’ She just wanted time to meet her soulmate. Get to know him. At this point, she would take a full shift or one day to get to know him. But until they got to earth she would just have to deal. There would be time to meet the man who Kirk called Scotty later.

For now, she had her job, the one she had been fighting for years to get.

The bridge was more or less fixed. They had done all they could to keep the bridge running. Kirk sat in his chair and gave orders. Spock assisted as necessary, but for the most part, Spock kept the scientists that had no job, as the labs were shut down, busy. Sulu and Chekov kept the ship as steady as she could be and the others did their best to make the ship run.

Most of the last week every shift had been crazy. One thing after another. So many fires to put out. Some were literal. Some were not.

But for once, for the first time, it was a quite shift. Nyota could almost pretend that this was an average ship traveling between stars. Kirk had realized that since he had taken command in a semi-illegal manner, that he didn’t have access to the ship’s personnel logs. He had been using Spock’s access codes to get access to everything he might need. But rather than just look up the personnel files, he was asking the bridge.

The conversation was lighthearted. Kirk was very good at making people relax. Nyota had noticed that trait when Kirk had made Spock relax. Nyota had been his friend for the last three years, and she had never really been able to make Spock relax.

“And what about you Mr. Chekov? Any advanced degrees for the boy wonder?” Kirk said with an easy smile, he was still in his chair, but his attention was on Mr. Chekov.  

Chekov had turned in his seat and was grinning openly at Kirk, his face alight with happiness. “Oh yes. Other than the Starfleet bachelor's in astrophysics, I started a long-distance master’s program at the University of Moscow, last year. It’s an excellent school.” Nyota had to be impressed. The seventeen-year-old was working on a master. That was incredible.

Kirk nodded as he made a note on his pad that he passed off to a waiting yeoman. “Meet your soulmate yet?”  he asked.

Chekov shook his head. “I haven’t met them. My arm hasn’t burned. Or at least I think it hasn’t!”

“Trust me you would know!” Kirk laughed. That caught Nyota’s attention. Wasn’t Kirk’s soulmate Vulcan?

“How would you know, Captain?” Sulu asked he didn’t turn around to join the conversation. Unfortunately, Scotty, the new chief engineer, hadn’t been able to fix the stabilizers entirely. The helm required lots of manual adjustments to keep on track.

“You should have seen my brother when he met his soulmate. He yelped so loud I could hear it three rooms over!” Kirk told them. “I haven’t let Sam forget it. Of course, he hasn’t let me forget that my soulmate’s like 6 or seven years older than me. So, we’re even.” He leaned back into his chair. “What about you Sulu? Soulmate? Got any higher education? Or hobbies other than being badass with a sword?”

That made Nyota giggle. Sulu smiled but did not take his attention away from the helm. “No soulmate yet sir. Haven’t met Him. I hope I will when we get home. I’ve been looking so I hope they have been looking for me too.”

“I’m sure they have been,” Kirk told him. Another yeoman brought Kirk another padd to review. “How're your degrees looking? Got any letters by your name?”

Sulu laughed at that one. “No way! I just got the helm piloting licenses and a minor in xeno-botany. No interest in anything else really.” He risked a glance away from the helm and nodded back to Kirk. “And, before you ask, Fencing is my hobby.”

“Wait. You have qualifications from security, science, and command?!” Pavel asked, his voice rising slightly in question. Sulu turned back to the helm and nodded.

“You know me, Pasha, I like being well rounded,” Sulu told him. Nyota noticed the diminutive and smiled at she turned back to the communications station. There was another message waiting for them from engineering. They had fixed the damage to the starboard nacelle as best they could, they still didn’t have warp power, of course, but the nacelle would help with impulse power.

Nyota took the message and ignored her disappointment that it wasn’t Scotty, on the other end of the line. She was almost positive that Scotty was her soulmate. She had hoped she would prove that when she had free time that she would be able to seek him out and try to find out for sure if he was her soulmate or not. The most she got was the occasional thing in Gaelic.

 _carson_ _nach seo Bolt a 'tighinn a-mach !? dè a tha e a 'cumail ann an sin? A tractar sail!?_ (why doesn’t this bolt come out!? What is holding it in there? A tractor beam!?)

Nyota hopes that she would have some free time soon.

She returned her attention to Kirk’s game of twenty questions just as he asked Spock if the Vulcan had any degrees. She knew that Spock’s answer would be worth listening to Kirk as the same things over and over again. The look on his face when he hears, Nyota wished she had a comm camera.

“Yes, captain. I have three bachateros, three masters and two decorates. I am in the process of getting a third doctorate.” Spock told Kirk from the Science station. He had also turned around in his seat. There hasn’t much science to be done at the moment. The area of space was clear, and Nyota knew there wasn’t a ship for a parsec or three.

Kirk just gaped at Spock. “And how old are you again, Mr. Spock?” Kirk asked, a slight tone of incredulity lacing his voice. Nyota was right. Kirk’s face was amazing. All stunned surprise and awe and disbelief.

“I am currently twenty-eight standard Terran years, sir,” Spock told Kirk very seriously. “I do not see the connection between the two questions.”

Kirk waved his hand, “Never mind. But how? How did you find the time to get eight degrees?! And what were they in?!”

Before Spock could answer, Chekov spoke up. “He must not sleep, sir. How else could he keep up with all the assignments?”

Spock looked in Chekov’s direction and tilted his head slightly in agreement. “It is true. I do not sleep as much as a human so I find I must often fill my nights with productive events. I find doctoral work a fulfilling process.”

Nyota laughed. “Of Couse, you do. There is a reason you have both the science officer and the first officer positions.”

“Also, to answer your second question, the two complete doctorates are in astrophysics, mathematics and the incomplete one is in comparative Xeno planetary development.”

“Oh, if you find you needed more things to fill your time then getting a doctorate or three would be a way of doing it,” Kirk said, nodding his head at Nyota and his attention back to Spock. “And do you have a soulmate? And if so have you meant them? Or if not that any hobbies?” Kirk stood and walked up to the bar that separated the outer bridge from the inner bridge. He leaned his back on it so that he was open to the whole bridge to talk but still standing next to Spock.

“While I do have a soulmate, and and I believe they are Terran, I have not met them yet.” Spock started, but Kirk interrupted him.

“Your soulmate is Terran?!” He asked. His eyes were wide as was Nyota’s. Spock had never spoken about his soul marks other than to inform her that he had them. To find out that his soulmate’s Terran changed at lot. Her eyes drifted to Kirk for a moment then she dismissed the thought. If they were soulmates, they would have figured that out before, at the academic hearing. The marks burn after all.

“I do not have any major hobbies. In my off time, I generally participate in additional Science experiments.” Spock continued, and then he paused for a moment and then added on, “I am rather good at chess. I prefer the 3D version over the standard flat version. If that is what one considers a hobby.”

Kirk light up slightly. “That’s totally a hobby. I love chess. We should play some time Mr. Spock.” Nyota notices that Kirk leaned into the Vulcan’s space slightly, before turning away.

“That would be an excellent notion, Captain,” Spock told him.

“What about you, Miss Uhura?” Kirk asked as he broke gazes with Spock. Nyota sighed slightly. Other than Spock she was the most educated person on the bridge.

“I’ve got a Masters in linguists from the University of Cape Town and Starfleet is going to award me a Bachelors in communication as soon as I graduate.” She told them. She glanced at her station to make sure there weren't any incoming messages and then looked back.

“What was your concentration?” Spock asked as he turned in his chair to address her. Her degrees weren’t something they had discussed before. So Nyota could see her friend was just as curious as Kirk was.

“Well my dissertation was in what drives people to learn a second language, but the overall program was just linguistics,” Nyota told them. She was rather proud of her defense.

“And what drives most people?” Sulu asked. Nyota smiled.

“Do you know a second language, Sulu?” She asked. She knew her voice took on a lecturing tone, but the bridge was interested what she was saying, so she continued.

“Yes, I speak Japanese and standard,” Sulu said.

“Then I guess that Japanese is a language your parents taught you? As well as standard?” Nyota said. Sulu nodded. “Then you learned for the number one reasons most people learn another language. For family or cultural reasons. But a good third to half of the people who can fluently speak a second or third language do so because of their soulmate’s thoughts.”

Chekov spoke up with a wave of his left arm. “I learned standard early because of the marks. I was about four or five when I started to teach myself.”

“I can speak some basic phrases in Vulcan because of mine.” Kirk offered quietly. He was very much not looking at Spock when he said it. “But the woman who tried to teach me how to speak it wasn't Successful at making the pronunciation work with my tongue.”

Spock looked like he wanted to say something and didn't want to at the same time. Nyota spoke up before he had a chance to ask. She wasn't going to let the reminder of what they survived ruin the first good mood they had for a week. Kirk’s soulmate was a reminder.

“Many people learn at least something of their soulmate’s language, so you'll be all right there, sir.” She'd told him. “I was genuinely interested in that choice and how it has affected languages. I especially enjoyed the research for it. It was fun.”

Chekov asked, “Is that why you started learning more languages, Uhura?”

She shook her head. “No, my parents were teaching me how to speak other languages before my marks showed up. I did learn how to speak Scotts Gaelic because of them.” She looked down at her arm and the cheerful marks there.

 _aon_ _siostam sìos agus fear eile airson a dhol!_ (one system down and another to go!)

“Wait, your soulmate speaks Scots Gaelic?” Kirk asked.

Nyota nodded. “Yes, and they are an engineer with Starfleet.”

“And they are an engineer.” Kirk seemed to be putting two and two together to get four. Nyota was almost pound of him. He, in the last week and shown great growth as a person and as an officer. She might want to be stationed by him once they graduate. Kirk suddenly stopped moving and froze for a moment. Then he grinned in a way that spoke of pure happiness.

“Spock. I think Uhura needs some sleep. In fact, with her hard work and dedication keeping the communication division working smoothly, I believe she needs at least one full shift off. And weren’t you telling me that Mr. Scott has been awake for the last three days? I think he needs some time off too. In fact, I believe he needs a full shift as well.”  Nyota’s jaw dropped. A whole day off? And Mr. Scott is off too?

Spock seemed to understand what Kirk was thinking as well. “I agree. I am given to understand that humans do perform better when they have what is called, ‘days off’ after a period of hard work. Please enjoy your well-deserved day off, Nyota.”

Nyota called for a replacement for commutations station on the bridge. She got a response that they will be up shortly.

Kirk was still grinning when he said, “Could you possibly tell Mr. Scott too? That he has a day off? It would mean so much to me.”

Nyota rolled her eyes at Kirk. But she didn’t mean much by it. They both knew that. He was giving her just what she wanted. A chance before they reached Earth to speak to Scotty. “I can do that sir.”

“Good!” Kirk said as Nyota’s replacement arrived with a ding of the turbo lift.

-

Scotty wasn’t sure what caught his attention first. Maybe it was the sudden silence of the usually chatting engineers. Or maybe it was a feeling of burning on his arm. Or maybe it was the sudden sense of someone looking at him. Or it was the immediate freezing of all work near him.

But he was in main engineering. And his assistant for the day, one of the teen Vulcans, nudged him with a wrench. Scotty looked up at the boy. The teen Vulcan had been picking up some of the social cues from the humans they worked with. Actual skin contact still did not happen, but no one was pushing them to do that anyway, so Scotty wasn’t too concerned.

“Mr. Scott. I believe someone is here to see you.” The boy, Solik, said. His attention was on the door was a woman in a red dress was talking to one of Scotty’s team leaders. She had her back to Scotty and Solik. The team leader waved in his direction, and the woman in red nodded and turned around.

Scotty gasped when he saw that it was the commutations officer, Uhura. Solik moved away from Scotty, but Scotty truly didn’t pay attention to what the boy was doing. His arm was burning slightly. Like the night, he had received his marks. He looked down at the marks that were covered and his hand twitched with the urge to pull up his sleeve.

Uhura must have seen his hand move because she smiled lightly. “You can check them if you want.” She told him. “My arm’s been burning since you looked up. I think I’m right, aren’t I? You’re my soulmate?”

She raised her arm, and Scotty saw that it was in Gaelic: _Dè tha am boireannach bu bhrèagha air an long seo ag iarraidh maille rium? agus carson a tha m 'ghàirdean a losgadh? A bheil i.....? Faodaidh i bhith na mo soulmate?_ (What does the most beautiful woman on this ship want with me? and why does my arm burn? is she......? can she be my soulmate?)

Scotty pulled up his sleeve and read, in standard for once: _I’m right. He is my soulmate!_

“You’re mine?” he asked. He wasn’t sure he believed it. It was too good to be true.

Uhura nodded. “I think so. I have the next twenty-four hours off. And thanks to the captain so do you. Do you want to talk?” She asked, hope plainly written on her features.

Scotty pulled himself out of his disbelief. Did he want to talk? He did! “Yes. Yes. Tha mi ag iarraidh bruidhinn! I mean I do want to speak!”

She held out her hand. “I understood you.  Scots Gaelic was a challenge to figure out at first, but it’s fun to speak.”

Scotty smiled and took her hand. “I’ve had fun trying to figure out how many languages you speak. I think my list was numbered somewhere in the mid-twenties. Most of them earth languages.”

They walked together to the entrance of engineering. Scotty paused at the door to give instructions to his team leaders, who were all milling around just waiting for Scotty and Uhura to leave so they could spread the story as fast as possible. Scotty smiled. He was sure that there were no greater gossips on a starship other than engineers. Scotty spotted Solik going back to where they were working so he felt safe that the job could be done.

With his job finished in engineering, Scotty turned back to Uhura and let her lead the way to her quarters. Scotty didn’t have any and had been sleeping in engineering. They both ignored the looks they got as they walked through the halls of the Enterprise together.

When they reached Uhura’s quarters, Scotty saw her marks change. The words blurred and reformed in white on her arm.

 _dh'fhaodadh_ _gur e seo an rud as fheàrr a-riamh a thachair dhomh._

Scotty smiled at he read what her marks said. Yes. This may be the best thing that ever happened to him. He held Uhura and laughed when she read his marks.

_We survived. I’ve found him! I’m so happy!_

-

After the last three weeks, Pavel had learned more curse words in standard than he had during the three years he attended the Academy. And such creative swears too. His Soulmate had been thinking in nothing but swear words and medical term since the battle with the Narada.

_That man wasn’t born with any sense. How in the world did manage to make it thirty-two?!_

Pavel was sure his soulmate was ranting about the same patient for the last three hours. Pavel wanted to tell his soulmate that he didn’t know either. Especially if it was the same man.

The temperature controls on the bridge had broken about four hours ago, and Scotty and his team were still trying to fix it. The heat was sweltering. The Capitan had allowed for breaks in uniform code and had taken off his command gold shirt and rolled up the sleeves of his own black undershirt. The bandages on his left arm were still present, hiding his marks. The women on the shift were doing better than most of the men. Pavel had also taken off his gold over shirt. Most of the men had. But he had pushed up his sleeves just enough to read his marks.

Only Spock and the one Vulcan teen who was accompanied him seemed to be okay with the temperature change. But Vulcan had been hot. All the textbooks had said so, and even Hikaru had agreed; saying that it was so hot that he could feel it while in free fall. So, it made sense to Pavel why the Vulcans were alright with the heat.

Since Miss Uhura and Mr. Scott had figured out they were soulmates a week ago; Kirk had been giving each of the bridge crew and other leaders at least one full shift off. Citing that the team needed some time off to relax and sleep. Tomorrow it was going to be Pavel’s turn.

He was looking forward to it.

While he had fixed the problem with the navigation station that had forced him to handwrite the course corrections before two days had passed, his Alpha shift was spent trying to get better readings from sensors that had either been destroyed or damaged almost past the point of no return. His beta shifts were often spent trying to fixing the sensors with the help from Mr. Scott or someone from his team. 

In his limited free time, Pavel liked to watch his arm. His soulmate was busy right now. Pavel knew that his soulmate was in Starfleet. He had figured that out years ago. He had feared that his soulmate was on one of the other ships but when they had survived and gotten out of Vulcan’s airspace and his soulmate was still thinking, Pavel, felt a great relief. That meant that his soulmate must still be on earth. If they were still in San Francisco, if they were still a cadet then they would be swamped.

Starfleet command had finally gotten a chance to speak to them live yesterday. Before then the sensors had been good enough only for text messages and recordings. Now they were close enough to earth to pick up vital communications.  Captain Kirk took the call on the bridge. Apparently, the drill had fallen right on the golden gate bridge and debris had fallen in parts of San Francisco and the sounding areas. But most lawmakers and politicians and the news media were just happy that they were alive.

But there were many injured. Most of the hospitals were very busy still, after three weeks. Pavel’s soulmate was a doctor. He probably didn’t have a chance to look at his arm.

 _Well,_ _bless your heart, sweetheart. You’ve got to be a stupid one. You strained your wrist doing what?!_

Pavel was just waiting around for the end of shift and for his replacement to relieve him. Hikaru had today off, so Pavel was stuck on shift with a girl from India who didn’t speak much.

Pavel didn’t like the silence.

“McCoy to Kirk!” the Capitan’s communicator rang out. Kirk sighed a sound that Pavel thought sounded fond. Chekov tried to ignore the way his face went a little red at the sound of the doctor’s voice.

“Yes, Bones?” Kirk said as he picked up the message.

“Why do I have a message that I’m off tomorrow? I’m the chief doctor. I can’t be off for half a shift let alone a whole shift!” McCoy sounded annoyed. Pavel almost wished the doctor had come up to bridge to complain. He liked McCoy’s present on the bridge. It made the place livelier.

“Because, even you Bones, need to sleep. If there is a real emergency then they’ll call you but, (and this is an order!) you need to rest. It’s a fact.” Kirk sounded smug. Like he knew he was going to get his way. Pavel thought privacy that he agreed with the captain.

The Doctor spotted over the line but decided in the end. “Fine! But I’ll still see you at lunch tomorrow. You need to eat. Have you gotten a time slot for a call to Jo and Kev?” Pavel heard the note of hopefulness in the doctor’s voice.

“Yah, Bones.” the captain’s voice was softer this time. “Tomorrow at 1300 ship time. It’s about 2000 Earth time so that they will be home. I’ve been routing the call lists. Everyone who wants to can call home.” Pavel was going to call home tomorrow as well. His mama must be worried about him. He had been glad that Miss Uhura and her team had been able to fix the signal so the ship could start calling non-Starfleet comms.

“Fine. I’ll be there. I’m going to head to dinner after this. Are you going to be free anytime soon?” McCoy asked on the comm.

“No, Bones. I have to make some calls for the crew. I’ll eat later. Now go finish your shift and then relax!” Kirk told the doctor. McCoy made some flippant comment about not being told what to do by captains who don’t sleep but hangs up anyway.

 Pavel knew that Kirk had been working overtime calling the families of those who died. Mr. Spock had given him a list of the full missing and dead three days ago. Pavel had wanted to help, but he saw that when Spock had offered to help, Kirk turned him down. Saying it was something that Kirk needed to do.

Mr. Spock, who was waiting for the conversation with McCoy to end, was standing off to the side of the Captain’s chair. “Captain, if you have a moment, then I would like to address a problem in engineering with you that Mr. Scott has brought to my attention.”

Kirk stood and nodded. “Yeah, sure, Mr. Spock. Lead on. Chekov, you have the Conn. You can release the conn to my relief if they get back before me. I’ll be up shortly to brief them on the turnover report.”

“Yes, sir!” Pavel said. It wasn’t the first-time Pavel had the Conn. But most of the other times had been in emergency or semi-emergency situations. He still needed to be at the navigation station, so he didn’t sit in the Capitan’s chair. He liked having the Conn. He hoped that someday he was going to be a Captain and that this would be a great experience. Seeing as they were moving in a rather straight line and were in Federation space, Pavel honestly wasn’t concerned about much of anything happening.

When the captain’s relief showed up before his own Pavel, just gave the woman, a lieutenant from command who had followed Captain Pike and Mr. Spock over from the Lexington, the Conn and told her that the captain would be there for a full turnover later. His relief showed up about five minutes later, and then Pavel was free. He unrolled his sleeves but didn’t replace his command gold shirt.

And he was hungry.

Pavel headed down to the officer’s mess. The room was crowded and packed to the gills with people who had gotten off shift and were hungry just like he was. Pavel got into the line for the replicators and hoped it would move soon. As he stood in line and got closer to the replicators, he was looking for a seat.

As he got his food from the replicate, he spotted an empty seat. Doctor McCoy had scowl so fierce that he got the only table to himself. But it was the only free seat in the entire place, so Pavel didn’t mind taking it.

“Hello, Doctor McCoy.” Pavel greeted as he walked up and put his tray on the table. “How have you been?”

“Doing pretty good, Ensign Chekov.” The doctor greeted. He barely looked up from his plate of what Pavel thought was chicken and dumplings. “get to talk to my little girl tomorrow. And I get to sleep. Looking forward to that.”

Pavel started to eat and nodded at the doctor words. “That’s good! I get tomorrow off too.”

McCoy looked up entirely from his plate. “What do you plan on doing?”

As Pavel told McCoy what he was planning on doing tomorrow, a part of him watched McCoy. The doctor looked tired. But Pavel could understand. The last three weeks had been long. He was sure that in the med bay it had been even longer. “You said, doctor, that you will talk to your daughter?” Pavel asked as he finished telling the doctor about his plans to sleep and eat and maybe call his mother.

McCoy’s face lit up with a joy that made all the exhaustion in his body disperse. Pavel thought that the doctor was very handsome. “Yes! I can’t wait to see her live. I got a message from her a few days ago. She’s still a little mad that she didn’t come along with me on this mission. I told her that she would see go with me the next time I’ll be on a starship.”

“She’s coming aboard? You actually got Starfleet command to give you permission for that? Wow! That’s remarkably hard to do!” Pavel was amazed. There was a reason children weren’t allowed on board starships mostly.

“Well, it’s just JoJo and me. Her mother isn’t in the picture at all. So, if they wanted me, and they did, they had to understand it came with JoJo.” McCoy said. “I’m just glad that Kevin, Jim’s little brother, hasn’t started Starfleet yet and could take care of her while where are stuck out here for the last three weeks. Thank god we’ll be home soon.” McCoy had finished his food. He seemed reluctant to go, and Pavel was unwilling to let him.

During the battle with the Narada, after Kirk had taken command of the Enterprise, McCoy had asked Pavel’s age. Pavel, who had just spent the last twenty minutes at warp trying to figure out the trajectory of the Narada, felt his arm burn but his arm had been on fire anyway. He had been writing and typing with both hands for a while by that point. But when his eyes connected to McCoy’s Pavel felt like his whole world had pulled down to that point, and he was stumbling through his answer to McCoy’s question.

He didn’t think that Mccoy felt that same connection though.

“Tell me Chekov, how long have you been in Starfleet?” McCoy asked.

“four years. This is my first year in the fleet.” Pavel told him, pleased that he was staying for the moment.

“Shit. That would make you what… fourteen? When you joined?” McCoy asked. “I didn’t know they let people that young into Starfleet.”

Pavel frowned. He didn’t like being told he was young. Pavel already knew. He hoped that McCoy hadn’t just focused on his age. “Da. I had finished all the school work. I was bored.”

The Doctor laughed. “You would be if you are capable of doing the calculations for the ship’s trajectory that quickly. I can imagine that you must really like physics and mathematics.”

“Yes, I do!” Pavel said, smiling.

“I’m surprised you are in command gold instead of engineering red. You know the ship pretty well and have a good understanding of what it can and can’t do.” McCoy said. He put his elbows up on the table and leaned his face on them. Pavel was still eating, but he was almost done.

“I want to be in command. I hope one day to Capitan a starship, but I know that’s a long way off.” Pavel told him.

Bones shook his head. “You gold shirts are always a little crazy. Seriously. With your smarts, you should totally get that captaincy. You’ve held the conn sometimes. You’ll be fine.  If they can survive Jim having a captaincy, no matter how temporary, then you will be amazing.” The doctor’s comm beeped. “I’m sure you can do it.” The comm beeped again. This time McCoy answered it. “McCoy here. … what? Ah. Good. I’ll be up there to check on her. …yes. I’m sure. See you in a few moments. McCoy out.”

Pavel was still smiling. “Sounds like you have a patient. I’ll be okay. Hope it's good news!”

McCoy stood and picked up his tray. “It is. Gaila, one of my friends has woken up. She’ll be okay. Jim’ll be excited to see her. Good night Chekov.”

“Good evening doctor,” Chekov said in return. He watched as McCoy left. Now, after that meal, he was aware just how big his crush was on the doctor. The man wasn’t intimated by his intelligence and didn’t seem to mind his age!. That made Pavel so happy. So often had people he had been trying to be friends with become intimated or uncomfortable with his intelligence.

He glanced down at his arm. His soulmate was a doctor so maybe...?

Pavel forced the thought out of his head. His mother had always told him that the marks burned when people met their soulmates. His hadn’t.

Or at least he thought they hadn’t. The last three weeks were so busy and stressful that he might have missed it.

Pavel ate the last of his meal and then got up to go to bed.

_Thank god almighty that she survived. He'd throw a fit if I lost her. I can’t wait for tomorrow!_

-

“Thank you for calling.” The woman said over the slightly fuzzy connection. “Kale-ni would have appreciated it.”

“It was the least I could do,” Jim said earnestly. “My condolences. And good day.”

The woman nodded back and ended the call.

Jim sat back in his chair at the desk and sighed.

Jim was tired.

He hadn’t been this tired in years. Not since he had spent nights trying to keep Kevin and thirteen other children quiet while starving on Tarsus. Not since he had woken up to nightmares, both his and Kevin’s, for years. Not since he had carefully watched what he ate and when he ate it and how much. That had been the last time he had been close to this tired.

Tarsus was the last time he had been this tired.

He had made the last call to the dead crewman’s families. Families who had already been notified by Starfleet. Who didn’t want to see his face but understood why he was calling. Families who hadn’t even begun to move on.

He had to call them.  All one hundred and thirty-five of them. They were his responsibly. Pike would have made the calls too, but he was still struggling to stay awake for more than twenty minutes at a time.

Spock had offered to help Jim make the calls, but Jim turned him down. Jim didn’t think that it would be fair to force the Vulcan to make the calls to the families. That it would be almost cruel.

Spock was still giving for his mother and would be for a long while.

Jim sighed and ran a hand through his hair. They would get to earth space dock in a week. He was sitting at the Capitan’s desk in the quarters meant for Pike. Jim wasn’t sleeping there, but it was the only place on the ship that had the command codes that Jim needed.

It had been about three days into the journey back that Jim realized that he may or may not have taken over the ship semi-illegally. At that point, Jim had gone up to Spock and asked for some access.

Spock had taken him to this room and had given him about two-thirds of Pike’s accesses codes for various parts of the ship. The last third was for secured things that Jim needed a higher security clearance for. Even as temporary captain.

Jim hadn’t actually left Pike’s office other than for Alpha shift and to get food.

There was so much paperwork to do when you are Capitan. It was hard for Jim to believe just how much of his time was spent doing paperwork.

But the paperwork was better than the Comm calls to the families. But it was done now. Jim sat back in his chair and sighed.

He was so tired.

He ran a hand through his hair again, hoping that it would help him calm down or that the action would change something this time. However, all the movement did was cause his arm to burn. Jim frowned at it. Bones had told him the wound from the Romulan would have to heal naturally. The blade had been poisoned, and the poison kept the cut from sealing.

But still, his arm burned, like when his soulmate thought of him. Jim hoped that meant that His soulmate was still alive. That his Vulcan soulmate survived the destruction of their home planet.

Jim hoped, but he didn’t know for sure. The bandages covered his marks up. Jim hoped that the burning was good thing, but it might also mean that the poison was still burning in his system

There was a beep at the door, signaling that someone wanted to talk to Jim.

“Come!” Jim called out. He had a good idea who it was so he didn’t bother to ask the computer to tell him.

Spock walked in and stood in front of the desk. “Good evening sir. I wanted to ask if you wished to play a game of chess?” Spock asked.

Jim let out a tired smile. “That sounds fantastic, Mr. Spock. I just have one more form to sign, and then I’ll be ready to play. If you could set up the board?” Jim reached for the padd and started to read the last form of the day.

Spock set up the board. Jim was glad that they had figured out that they both liked chess. It was a great way to relax after a long shift and still be awake if they were needed. Which was often. The ship was holding onto itself by a wing and a prayer and some of Scotty’s best engineering fixes.

It was also a great way for Jim to spend time with Spock. He was still fascinated by Spock.

The games were good for them. Their first games had been while Jim was learning how to fill out the paperwork needed for a captain. In the last two weeks, the games had changed from just a challenge to something greater. They talked about everything while they were playing.

When Jim and Spock were finally playing, and Jim had started to relax despite the burning in his arm, Spock brought up soulmates. Or at least he brought up Jim’s arm.

“Captain. Why are you favoring your left arm? Are you injured?” Spock said as he placed his knight down into Jim’s trap.

“I’m still healing from the fight with one of the Romulans. Bones said that he couldn't force the tissue to heal without causing damage to my marks and I refuse to allow that to happen.” Jim told him, pushing back his sleeve to allow Spock to see the bandages wrapped around his left arm. He moved his rook and took a pawn.

Spock raised an eyebrow. “I see. That would be a hard thing to allow. Will you find it acceptable not to see what your soulmate is thinking until the injury is healed?” Spock was also carefully considering the board.

“I’m not sure I want to see what my soulmate is thinking. They are Vulcan.” Jim told him.

Spock nearly dropped the pawn he had just picked up. “Your soulmate is indeed Vulcan? You implied while we were on the bridge two weeks ago.” Some emotion passed over Spock’s face before he could stop it. Jim couldn’t read it. He didn't know Spock well enough yet. Jim hoped that if the Admiralty did what they were hinting at, then he might get a chance to know Spock better.

“Yes, they are,” Jim said. “I don't know if they survived. I don't want to know until we get back to earth safely. If they didn't then, I'd grieve. If they did, then I'll celebrate and work on at least meeting them.”

Spock nodded slightly. “I understand. Is part of the reason you do not want to find out if your soulmate is alive or not is because of the enterprise?”

Jim laughed slightly hollowly. “You can say that.”

“Ah.” Spock murmured, “I do understand. My soulmate is Terran.  I have seen them during some very distressing parts of their life. I understand the not knowing is sometimes better in the short term for humans.” He placed his castle on the board in a move that Jim did not see coming.

Jim smiled weakly. He hated not knowing, but if he found out that his magnificent, intelligent and supportive soulmate was dead, then he wasn't sure what he would do.

He had to keep it together for the ship.

“What about your soulmate? Are they alright?” Jim asked in a move to change the subject from his soulmate.

Spock merely raised his arm and pulled up the sleeve of his science blue shirt. His arm read:  _I’m so tired. I could sleep for a week. Almost there. I can’t…_ The words are slightly blurred at the edges, and the marks weren’t a complete thought, but Jim didn’t think anything about it. He was sure Bones told him that sometimes happens if the marks were covered for whatever reason.  “I believe so. My father says that humans tests and finals in late May if they are still in schooling. Which I believe my soulmate is. I have seen that this causes exhaustion in most humans.”

Jim laughed. “I totally agree with your soulmate about being tired! I haven't been this tired in years. I can't wait to sleep without being woken up every ten minutes.”

“You are being woken every ten minutes?” Spock asked, sounding a bit confused. Jim just smiled and moved his queen. “That seems excessive.

“Not really. It’s an exaggeration. But some nights it feels like it. Oh, and checkmate.” Jim told him.

Spock had a moment where he frowned without actually frowning down at the board. “It appears so captain. I do not believe I can have a way out. I shall concede this game and retire. We will arrive at earth space dock in less than a week. We shall need rest.” Spock stood up from the board and nodded at Jim.

Jim didn’t move from the chair he was sitting in, but he waved as Spock left the room. He looked at his arm when Spock left. He wondered what his soulmate was thinking. He hoped they were alive.

He needed them to be alive.

-

Hikaru was thrilled that the ship was one day from Earth Space Dock. The last three weeks were hard and long.

He has probably logged more hours flying in the last three weeks than he had in the last year. He loved it. He was doing his dream.

But what he was really looking forward to was finding his soulmate. Hikaru was sure his soulmate was in San Francisco. Their thoughts gave that away years ago. But in the last few weeks, his soulmate has been freaking out over the drill still left in San Francisco and frantically working toward graduation.

“Karu!” Pavel practically shouted as he rushed into their quarters. Hikaru was sitting in their quarters, trying to relax after a long day on shift. The helm was as fixed as it was going to get without space dock. They had two of the teen Vulcans sleeping there too. Only one of the Vulcans was present, Solik was watching them with interest.

“Yes, Pasha?” Hikaru asked, but he had a good idea what made his roommate and close friend so happy he was almost dancing.

“I just had lunch with the doctor! We talked the entire time!” Pavel said. He stopped bouncing around the room as he spoke.

“Pasha, you've had lunch with the doctor for the last week straight. I know you have a giant crush on him, but you don't need to tell me about every conversation with him you have.” Hikaru said this with a smile, and Pavel just grinned despite Hikaru’s exasperation.

“Yes, but this time, he told me to call him Bones or Len! I know the Captian called him Bones, but I haven't heard anyone call him Len. So that's what I’m using.” Pasha went back to dancing around the room.

 Solik watched Pavel move. “Fascinating. Mr. Sulu, I assume this extreme expression of happiness is a result of contact with this ‘crush’?”

Despite repeated efforts, Pavel and Hikaru were still not able to get Solik to give up the formal address. But other than that, Hikaru liked Solik. He nodded at Solik. “Yes. Pasha has a crush on Doctor McCoy. It's not something to be shared with other people unless that someone tells them themselves. So, don't go telling!”

Pavel laughed. “Please don't tell the doctor. I don't want him to see me just as the kid with a crush. I want him to see me as a friend, at least.”

Solik nodded. “I understand. May I make a query?”

Pavel nodded happily. Hikaru sighed. Nothing will get through to Pavel for the next couple of hours. His crush on the doctor was huge. Hikaru knew that eventually Pavel would get over it or it would change into something more substantial. If Hikaru were a betting man (and he was), then he would bet on the crush not fading.

“Why do you have a “crush” on a person when you have a soulmate?” Solik asked. He had raised one eyebrow. That was a mannerism that must be Vulcan and not just limited to their first officer. Or Solik was copying Spock, which, now that Hikaru thought about it was cute.                 

Hikaru and Pavel exchanged a glance. They had several conversations like this one over the last three weeks. Solik was often curious about human’s reasoning and was always asking questions.

“Well, it’s a human thing. Our soulmates aren’t always romantic. So sometimes we fall in love with people who aren’t our soulmate. Sometimes our soulmates are our families. Sometimes they are our friends. Most of the time they are lovers. I guess Vulcans don’t have that happen?” Hikaru said.

“No. Not often. Most of our soulmates are our bond mates. We are bonded young. My soulmate is my bond mate. I hope to see her when we arrive at Earth.” Solik said. He was sitting on his cot in-between Pavel’s and Hikaru’s beds. There was another bed pushed against the far wall by the door. The other Vulcan boy, who preferred to be called Kov, who stayed with them was twelve. They were assigned to Pavel and Hikaru’s room because they were the youngest who was able to work. Solik was seventeen.

Pavel lit up. Neither Vulcan talked much about their personal lives. This was the first Hikaru had heard about a bond mate for Solik. Kov hadn’t said much other than that he lost his bond mate on Vulcan. “Your soulmate is going to meet you on earth? Is she on another ship?” Pavel asked.

“Her father owns a large trading company. He had taken her on a trip to facilitate a transfer of power. We planned on taking over part of the business when I had graduated from the VSA. She and her father are waiting for us on earth. We have spoken twice since we arrived in the Sol system.” Solik said. He was leaning into the conversation slightly. Hikaru knew that meant that the boy was engaged in the conversation. Vulcans had tells to their emotions. It was just hard to read.

“I’m glad,” Hikaru said. “I hope I can meet my soulmate soon. I’m going to be looking for them the moment we get back to earth tomorrow.” He leaned back on his bed and grinned at the ceiling, raising his arms over his head. He looked at his left arm.

_Graduation is in a week. Finals finish in three days. I hope I can survive!_

Solik looked over at Hikaru’s arm as well. “Based on your soulmate’s thought it seems as if your soulmate is graduation from somewhere shortly. That would be an excellent place to start if you wanted to find your soulmate.”

Pavel looked over too. “Do you have any idea other than graduation? It’s may. Many places in America are graduating at this time.”

Hikaru sat up and grabbed his pad. “I’ve been making a list. I know they are living in San Francisco. I know that they are our age. Just two months older than me. I know they are studying Botany, but I can’t tell what specialty or even if they have one. That their favorite color is green. And I think they are male. But that last one is more based on me, then what my soulmate has directly thought. I figure that this would be a start.” He showed his list to Pavel and Solik.

He had been writing everything he could down to help him find his soulmate for two weeks now. He had been doing this ever since he watched Uhura and Scotty find each other. He had gotten the idea from listening to Scotty talk about the list that he wrote of all the languages that Uhura spoke.

After jumping off a drill into the atmosphere of a dying planet, he wasn’t going to miss a moment with his soulmate. It wasn’t going to happen.

They went into Spacedock tomorrow.

He would find his soulmate.

Hikaru knew it.

-

Spock got the message two hours before the ship was going to pass Mars. His father wanted to see him before the ship arrived at space dock, in twelve hours. Spock was sure he was going to be very busy in the nest coming hours, with his duties as the first officer and the science officer. He was grateful for his father for putting himself on Spock’s schedule.

Spock wondered if Sarek wanted to speak about the opinions the Vulcan people have next. Or if it was about the arrival of the Enterprise’s crew on earth. Spock expected it was about the arrival.

Starfleet had planned a large media event to ‘Welcome back the Enterprise crew!’

Spock was not looking forward to it.

As the son of an Ambassador as well as the only Vulcan in Starfleet and the only human/Vulcan child in existence, Spock had much experience with the media.

He did not enjoy dealing with them. The media was overwhelming on a good day.

“Sir?” A young voice speaking in Vulcan pulled Spock from his padd. He was on the bridge, sitting in the Captain’s chair, waiting for Jim to return from the final check of entering. Kov was standing next to the Captain’s Chair with Solik. Both Vulcans had been a great help to the enterprise.

“Yes, Kov?” Spock asked. He did not wonder why the two teens were at the bridge. He ‘had a feeling,' to borrow one of Nyota’s favorite phrases, that he knew what they wished to speak to him about.

“We are inquiring about joining Starfleet,” Solik said. He gestured to himself and Kov. A very human thing that Spock had observed before. Spock had seen many of the young Vulcans pick up some of the human gestures. Solik continued speaking. “While only Kov and I have spoken to each other about joining Starfleet, I believe there is much interest among our peers.”

Kov spoke up. “As you are a Vulcan who is currently serving in Starfleet, we thought it best you ask you the requirements to join.”

Spock looked at the two boys. He did not doubt their desire. When Vulcan was destroyed three weeks ago, Spock and his father worried about the youngest of the Vulcans aboard. When the VSA survivors had asked to be useful, and then the adults followed their example, Spock’s concern faded slightly.

Solik and Kov were two of the VSA survivors. The group had been on a space flight to study an experiment that must be done in constant freefall. Their shuttle had been picked up before the Enterprise had left to chase the Narada.

They had started to follow him on the bridge soon after they had asked to be put to work.

Spock had let them once Jim had given his permission.

Jim said yes so fast that even Doctor McCoy was surprised.

“As I had met with a Starfleet recruiter first to find out what I would do best. I would recommend that course of action first.” Spock told them. “But I would also wait to we arrive at Earth. There are many of our people who are thinking of starting a colony. It is logical to cultivate multiple options.”

Solik nodded. Kov shook his head. “While Solik has his bond mate on earth, I do not have anyone on Earth. Starfleet is the most logical option for me.”

“That may be so.” Spock conceded. “We will still need to wait until Earth to meet with a recruiter. I will arrange a meeting once we arrive at earth.”

Kov nodded. “That is logical. Thank you for your time, sir.”

Spock raised an eyebrow at the offer of thanks. Kov didn’t flinch back. Apparently living and working with humans was causing the younger Vulcans to change the way they think and interact with the world.

Fascinating.

He watched the two Vulcans leave. As they reached the tube lift, it opened to Jim arriving at the bridge.

Spock heard Chekov’s faint “Captain on the bridge!” and stood from the captain’s chair.

“Mr. Spock, how fairs the ship?” Jim asked as he walked up to him. He was a little grimy and dirty. Clearly, Jim had done more than just observe while he was down in engineering.

“All conditions normal for now, sir. There were not any new problems while you were gone.” Spock told him. Jim sat down in his chair, and Spock was sure that it was _his_ chair.

In the past month, they had been heading back to Earth, Spock had become convinced that Jim Kirk was going to be one of the best captains Starfleet will ever have. He had already sent in a request to drop the academic charges and had put in a recommendation that Jim Kirk keeps the battlefield promotion. Pike had agreed and had signed to too. As did five other fully commissioned department heads.

If Jim Kirk is not in Starfleet as a captain then the universe would be deprived of something great.

Spock remaining in Starfleet is another matter altogether.

“Good! I’ll take over from here.” Jim told him. Jim sat down in the chair and leaned back. Spock thought he looked more like a captain than he had in the past month. Jim shifted to scratch at the bandages that he still had to wear. Spock had heard Doctor McCoy tell Jim over lunch that he was going to have to wear the bandages for the next two weeks.

“Yes, sir. May I be excused from the bridge to address my father and start preparations for space dock?” Spock asked. His father would be his first priority, but the science labs would need checking over, and the debarking list was required to be finalized before it was sent to Jim for final approval.

“Go ahead, Spock. Have fun talking to your father.” Jim waved him off, and Spock's arm burned. He wondered faintly what his soulmate thought about him today.

When he was in the turbo lift, he checked his arm. The marks were still smeared at the edges as they had been for the last three weeks.

_…Looks good walking away. Get it toget…_

Spock sighed slightly, with no one to see him. He wished his soulmate would take off whatever was on the marks. But he moved on. The lift opened to let him off at the deck most of the refugees and survivor Starfleet officers were quartered.

His father’s quarters were in one of the larger guest quarters. Two elders were with him.

“Ah, Spock,” Sarek said as Spock walked in. “I see you have received my message.” The elders stood and nodded at Spock as they left.

Spock accepted the greetings; he no longer marveled at the elder’s acknowledgment of him. He had saved them personally; their acknowledgment of him was the least they owed him.

He still marveled at the children's acceptance of him. He was unsure why children would welcome him.

“Father, what do you wish to discuss with me?” Spock asked when the elders left. “Is there something wrong?” He did not want to think there was something wrong. He did not want to lose his father.

In the past month, he has spent hours meditating with his father trying to process the grief they both felt over the loss of his mother.

The sessions were only working marginally.

While Sarek supported Spock's choice to join Starfleet it had been years since they had seen each other in person. Spock missed his mother. She would often help conversations flow between him and his father.

“No, nothing is wrong with me. I have received news that the Vulcan elders plan on propositioning the Federation for a colony. I have been asked to help with the petition.” Sarek said. Sarek sat down at the small desk that had been placed in the corner. He gestured for Spock to sit. The movement was something his mother used to do, and it caused a sharp pain to run across Spock’s heart to see his father repeating the gesture.

“As we expected,” Spock said. He took the seat his father had presented. Spock did not expand on the idea. He had an idea what his father wanted to say now.  But he was unsure of the appropriate response.

“Yes. I wish to ask you if you have given any thought to what you want to do after we arrive on earth.” Sarek asked. They had a conversation a few days ago about a Vulcan colony and what Spock wanted to do if one was established.

As Spock understood it, he had three options. One, he could remain in Starfleet. Two, he could leave Starfleet and join any Vulcan colony and help his people. Or three, he could leave Starfleet and stay on earth.

The third option was useless. He would not leave starlet just to stay on earth. There would be no point. Spock had dismissed it shortly after conniving the idea.

But the other two plans remain options.

“I have given the options thought, father. I am still unsure of the path I must take. I have many opportunities here in Starfleet. However, I do recognize the need for me to stay with our people and help grow the future Vulcan colony.  I am undecided.” Spock told his father.

His father was silent for a moment but then spoke. “You have always been a child of two worlds. You have done the Vulcan society a great favor by being in Starfleet. You have saved the elders. And I know you will continue to do Vulcan and your mother honor by staying in Starfleet.” Sarek said. “You would also be welcomed at a Vulcan colony. Your intelligence and practical experience would be appreciated by our people. You would help shape the beginning of the Vulcan people. Either choice is logical.”

Sarek paused and took a deep breath and said, “Either way you would have a proud father.”

Spock was not expecting the flash of grief mixed with surprise. His mother told him that on the day he rejected the VSA in favor of Starfleet. To hear his father, say that phrase, was enormous for him. He sat silently and stared at his father for a long moment.

“…Thank you, father. I am still unsure of what choice would be the best for myself, father. I will make a decision once I have considered all the facts.” Spock told Sarek quietly.

Sarek nodded. “I know you will make the choice that is most logical for you, as you have always done.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's Chapter five! I just found out that I will be working nights so I may be slower in finishing the editing and getting the chapters out. Sorry. :( I'll do my best until the new hours kick in but I can't make any promises. I'm thinking that in total there will be nine or so chapters so we're getting there!
> 
> Also, the bridge scene and Uhura's and Scotty's scene were the ideas that sparked this entire fic. like my notes for this section was 'The part that started it all.' and 'the scene I wanted to write from the beginning.'


	6. Chapter 6

Ben Miyota was nervous.

He stood in his best casual suit, staring at the main entrance to Starfleet acumen. He had seen the Entrance before, but he had never gone into the academy.

It was crowded and filled to the brim with people. Family members for the most part but there were others like the media, paparazzi, and tourists.

The Enterprise would be home today.

And Ben was nervous.

_I can’t wait to see my mom and dad! It’s been so long! God, I hope my plants are alright!_

His soulmate was coming home today. Ben was sure of it. He just didn’t know who of the four hundred people was his soulmate.

After the longest day of his life, the day Vulcan was destroyed, and the drill fell on San Francisco, Ben swore that he would find his soulmate. He had stayed for so long hoping for more news from Starfleet about which people survived the battle.

The news, when it had broken, that of the six ships that had been sent to help Vulcan, only one had survived, Ben, at least, knew where his soulmate was. Starfleet had announced that the enterprise was critical in defeating the enemy that had destroyed Vulcan. Ben figured out his soulmate was on the USS Enterprise because of the way his soulmate’s thoughts read.

 It was rather obvious if his soulmate was alive and not sitting in a rescue pod. Ben was told people in rescue pods don't think of advanced navigation problems.

The other Starfleet ships had been pulled out of the system they were stationed in and sent out to the area of space where Vulcan had been to pick up all of the short-range spacecraft that had made it out to space. Starfleet had released a press statement saying they had picked up survivors but did not say how many they had picked up.

 Ben assumed that was not a promising sign.

He had gone to the homecoming just in case, his roommate Saiko come with him in support. His arm didn't burn all day, and neither had hers.His soulmate was thinking about how the ship was slow to respond that day.

The other ships had arrived at Earth two weeks ago. They still had warp power.

The Enterprise had lost warp power. It had taken them just under a month to reach Earth. But they were home now, and Ben was left trying to gather the courage to watch the arrivals.

During the last month, he has spent a lot of time in his labs and classes, ostensibly getting ready for graduation in a week but really trying not to think about what his soulmate was going through. Now that he was standing looking at the crowd all he could think of was what if he couldn't find him? What if he could not find his soulmate?

Starfleet has announced that of a crew of more than four hundred, at least three hundred had survived. That was at least three hundred people who could be his soulmate. Ben was nervous. Very nervous.

_I put the plants in the greenhouse. They should be okay until I get back in a few weeks. I hope._

He took a deep breath, wished that Saiko could have joined him this time, but she had a final herself that she could not miss, and walked into the crowd. He pushed his way as close to the front as he could. The hanger was filled with people waiting for the enterprise’s shuttles. 

The first set of people off of the ship was the most injured. The official captain was among them. Ben look at his arm while the injured were being taken off and a few of the walking wounded were immediately swept up by families.

As he watched the families and the crowd yell, Ben wondered if Kirk was staying on the Enterprise.

It had been a week ago when Starfleet announced that the Enterprise was under the temporary command of a man named James Kirk. Ben had quickly put two and two together and had raised that this was probably the same Kirk that his soulmate had thought about. The same man who saved his soulmate’s life.

He didn’t know, but someday in the future, Ben wanted to thank James Kirk for saving his soulmate.

The next few shuttles were engineering and the science officers. As each group of people got off the crowd seemed to grow.

Then there were the Vulcan refugees. They were greeted by representatives of the Vulcan embassy. The Ambassador Sarek, Vulcan’s ambassador to the Federation, was part of this group. Ben had heard that his son is a member of Starfleet and was part of the Enterprise’s crew.

Ben didn’t see a Starfleet uniform among the Vulcans though so he thought the son was still on board.

He pulled up his sleeve and looked at his arm.

_Two more shuttles to go and then! Land! Earth! Mom and dad!_

Ben watched as the last two shuttles entered the hanger bay. The first one was filled with the department heads and other higher-ranking officers, but it was the last one that caught his attention.

It was a group of people that had command of the enterprise.

Starfleet had an announcer for each shuttle that came in. When the announcer said, “Now arriving: senior staff and the first officer and temporary Capitan.” The crowd went wild. The photographers and the media were very persistent. Ben was pushed back from the front of the crowd.

He still got a good view of the command staff. The first two off was a boy in gold and an older man in cadet reds followed by several people in science blue and engineering red. Then a dark-skinned woman in cadet reds standing close next to a man in red. Then a Vulcan in science blue and a blond man in cadet reds came out. A boatswain’s whistle blew for them. Ben realized that they must be the captain and the first officer.

After the pair had left, an Asian man walked out of the shuttle’s doors. He was shorter than Ben, but that wasn’t saying much, Ben was taller them most people he met.

Ben thought he was hot. And wasn't his soulmate a pilot? Maybe?

Ben looked at his arm quickly.

_Perfect landing._

Maybe that was his soulmate!

Ben looked up again, and the man was gone. As was the rest of the crew other than the older man in cadet reds, an older man in an engineering shirt and the first officer and the captain.

Ben looked around and didn't see any of the rest of the last shuttle. While he had been distracted, they had left.

Ben’s soulmate didn't know he was here!

Ben has to find him!

_Why does my arm hurt? Isn't that my marks?!_

-

Hikaru was relieved when the Starfleet media people took the alpha shift bridge crew to a secluded part of the academy's grounds.  It was an open garden that was often a good place to study or sleep depending on the student.

Their families were going to be brought to them.

There were a few photographers, but they were Starfleet and weren't invasive. Hikaru didn't want to deal with the paparazzi types Kirk had described. Hikaru believed him. Kirk was the son of George Kirk and had met a few paparazzi in his time.

Starfleet Engineers had taken over the ship and was trying to get a full assessment of the damage done. Hikaru had taken the bridge crew and had piloted them all down to earth.

The crowd was enormous. None of them were prepared for that. Not even Kirk. But they all smiled and waved and tried to get out of there as fast as possible. When he left the shuttle, Hikaru felt his arm burn. It made him look up at the crowd.

His soulmate was here. Somewhere.

Hikaru rubbed at his arm. He was sure his soulmate was in the crowd.  But Hikaru hadn't seen him. All he saw were flashes from cameras and the hint of faces beyond that. The Starfleet representative pushed them along.

Hikaru hoped he hadn't missed his chance.

 _I hope to God I haven't lost him! I need to find him! Where did they go?_  

Hikaru was still waiting for his parents to show up. Starfleet liaisons were running around getting everyone's families.

Spock's father was already waiting for them in the garden on the academy grounds. With him stood a boy about fifteen at most who was carrying a girl about five.  Ambassador Sarek was speaking quietly to the teen, and the girl’s cheerful, loud voice carried the rest of the way.

Spock walked up to his father, and the two sedately exchanged greetings. While Hikaru knew for a fact that Vulcans had emotions and that they were both missing Spock’s mother, the pair were calm and unemotive as usual.

Kirk, who had been solemn and quiet all morning, broke out into a run the moment he saw the two kids. Doctor McCoy had done the same.

Doctor McCoy was somehow faster. He had swept the little girl up in his arms and had taken her from the teen's grasp. Hikaru had gotten close enough to hear him just talking to the girl. “Oh, Joanna! I've missed you!”

The small, “Don’t leave me behind next time!” was too cute.

Kirk had hugged the teen so hard that Hikaru thought that the boy would turn blue. But the boy seemed to be holding Kirk just as tight.

“Kevin!” Kirk said as he pulled away. Hikaru became aware that most of the bridge crew was watching the pair. They all knew of Joanna McCoy. Doctor McCoy will talk about her for hours if they let him. And Pavel would sometimes let the doctor talk on and on if Hikaru didn’t stop him.

But Kirk was different, he had mentioned a mother, they all knew about his father, and sometimes he said an older brother and a son. Or younger brother. No one was really sure.

Kirk liked keeping them all guessing. Uhura said she knew about Kirk’s family but didn’t know either. The only one who knew for sure was McCoy. And he wasn’t telling. 

Uhura cleared her throat. Kirk and the boy, Kevin, separated entirely. “are you going to introduce us properly, Kirk?” She waved at the teen with the hand not clutching Scotty’s.

Kirk brighten up even further. He looked the sun. It was almost blinding, the happiness that was radiating off him.

Hikaru noticed that Spock hadn’t taken his eyes off of Kirk. Something that made Hikaru smile was in his eyes.

“Everyone this is Kevin Reilly. He’s family.” Kirk said as he waved to Kevin. The boy smiled faintly. “Kevin, this is my crew. That’s Uhura and Scotty. They’re soulmates. Aren’t they lucky! And that is Sulu; we jumped off a drill together. He’s a bro.” Hikaru grinned and nodded at the kid. Kevin waved in response. “And that is Chekov. He isn’t much older than you, so if you want advice on getting into the Academy early then that’s the man to talk to!” Kevin lit up nodded again.

“Nice to meet you,” Kevin told them all. “And Mr. Chekov, I will need to talk to you soon.”

Hikaru laughed. He did notice that Jim didn’t explicitly state if Kevin was his brother or son. Hikaru assumed brother. But they didn’t look too much alike.

“’Karu! Hikaru where are you?!” A voice called out, pulling Hikaru out of his observations of the man that was Kirk.

He turned and saw his mother running toward him. She practically tackled him when she reached him. His father was close at hand. He was swept up in hugs that might have put Kirk’s to shame.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Pavel be surrounded by two older people speaking rapid Russian. He had dragged them over to meet McCoy. Pavel must be really serious about the doctor.

He heard more than saw Uhura introduce Scotty to her parents. He didn’t Scots Gaelic could sound like that.

His mother pulled his attention to her. She demanded to know If he was healthy. She wanted to know if he had done anything too dangerous.

Hikaru sent a look to Kirk, who had overheard his mother asks that, warning him not to say a word of their drill dive or that he held the conn during a central part of the battle.

“Hey, Kirk? Is your mother going to be here?” Scotty asked Kirk as the group more or less circled up to introduce their families.

Both Kirk and Kevin shook their heads. “Mom’s ship is still in the Laurentian system. They were told to stay. She’s been out for… what two years now?” he asked Kevin. Kevin made an agreeing noise. “Well, Something like that. My older brother is coming to town in a few weeks though. Deveva is a bit of a distance to travel. He’s bringing his kid though, so that’s cool.”

“Well, please bring him around.” Hikaru’s mother said. She had already invited everyone to their house in a week’s time. His parents always liked making large amounts of food and had always enjoyed a good party.

Hikaru’s arm burned suddenly. It burned as he had just done a hard arm workout or like he had a severe sunburn. He gasped out loud, making most of the group look at him. But Uhura and Scotty were watching the entrance of the garden.  

There was a nicely dressed man at the gate. He was tall and of Asian descent. While he didn’t carry a camera on around his neck, Hikaru knew everyone at the gathering was Starfleet allowed.

Maybe this man was a paparazzi? Or the news media?

The man hissed slightly and pulled up the sleeve of his right arm. There were marks there, and Hikaru got an idea.

Hikaru pulled up his sleeve and saw what his marks were saying.

_My soulmate thinks I’m paparazzi? That’s depressing._

Hikaru couldn’t help it. He started to laugh.

-

Ben was sure he was lost. He had never been on the grounds of the Starfleet Academy. After the last shuttle had landed and the crew had disembarked. Some of the crowd has started to disappear. He had tried to follow the crowd as they left the shuttle bay but he made one wrong turn, and he was almost alone. He thought he was heading back to the main street, but he was wrong.

The media was still having a grand time. Ben could hear, as he left, reporters from all around the earth and there were a few from other planets in the federation. The Enterprise’s return was headlining news in the Federation.

Ben’s arm hadn’t burned at all.

Maybe he missed his soulmate? Maybe they hadn’t seen him. The crowd was large.

Ben had hoped that the pilot was his soulmate, but the man had been shuffled along just as fast as everyone else.

He checked his arm.

_Kirk. Is that your son or your brother? Please, I need to know._

Ben sighed. He turned a corner that he thought would lead him to the street where he entered, but he was confronted by a garden. The garden was small, and Ben would consider it peaceful but there was a large gathering of people in it.

There were people in the Starfleet Academy’s cadet uniform and the Fleet’s uniform of blue, red, and gold.

In the middle of the group was the pilot. A man with black hair and a gold shirt. Ben thought that the pilot was one of the best-looking men he had ever seen.

The pilot suddenly gasped, grabbed at his arm right over where marks would be and jerked his head away from the group to look at Ben.

Ben, whose marks suddenly burned faintly like he had an itch that needed to be scratched or a rash, was entranced by a pair of dark eyes. He pulled his gaze from the man. Then he pulled up his sleeve and read:

_Oh god, I hope that’s not a paparazzi!_

Ben sighed. Of course, his soulmate thought he was paparazzi.

That was his life.

Depressing.

Then the pilot started to laugh. He had pulled up his sleeve to reveal the marks and was staring at them laughing.

The rest of the group of people, who Ben relieved be latently was the bridge crew of the emperies, turned and looked at the pilot to Ben and back again.

Ben took a few cautious steps into the garden.

A man in Starfleet security red came up to stop Ben, but a man in cadet red prevented him.

“I think that Sulu knows him.” The man said.

The guard nodded and relaxed. “Yes, Captain Kirk.”

Ben started slightly. That was Kirk. The man who saved his soulmate’s life.

The Pilot, Sulu, had stopped laughing and walked up to Ben. “Hello. My name is Hikaru Sulu. I think we need to get to know each other.”

Ben stared at his soulmate for a moment. Then he said the first thing that came to his mind.

“Why do you hope your plants are alright?” Ben asked. Not the graceful introduction he wanted, and he didn’t know why he said that. “I mean my name is Ben Miyota and its…”

Ben’s soulmate began to laugh again. “Nice to meet ya, Ben. Come with me, and I’ll tell you about my plants.” Hikaru took Ben’s hand and led him over to the group of people.

_I spent all this time trying to find him, and he found me!_

-

Jim didn't think the admiralty could shock him anymore then if they all started to strip naked.

“I’m what?” Jim asked. He had to get clarification. There is no way he heard that right.  “I'm sorry ma’am but could you repeat that?”

The admiral, who Jim was sure was Admiral Chase, smiled as she repeated his orders.

“Upon graduation from Starfleet Academy, you are being directed to take command of the USS Enterprise. Permanently. We’re upholding the promotion, Kirk. Don't make us regret it.” She told him.

Jim just blinked. Then he came to his senses and realized that they weren't just fucking with him. He really was going to be the captain of the Enterprise. Holy shit. “I will do my best to lead the crew, ma’am.” He said sounding completely calm. On the inside, he was dancing.

“We count on it, Captain Kirk. Your graduation is in three days. Please pass on your choice of department heads before then.” Another admiral told him.

“I will, sir,” Jim said, grinning. He was dismissed, and he left the meeting room.

The alpha bridge crew was given a week off once they landed. That was a good thing because Sulu had met his soulmate and they were too cute together. Jim absolutely did not feel jealous of the new couple. Ben Miyota was the perfect person for Sulu.

Sulu’s mother already invited Jim to the inevitable wedding.

They were excused from the last of the Academy's school days. There was no point in making the cadet crew of the Enterprise attends classes if everyone had already proven they knew their jobs and knew them well. The group was told to show up to graduation. That was a good thing because the media was having a ball trying to find them. Every news station wanted pictures of the ‘best crew in Starfleet.' Jim wasn’t complaining about the name; it was true, but dodging paparazzi was getting old.

Jim used that time to sleep and spend time with Kevin, Joanna, and Bones. But only after three days of the promised week of shore leave, he got a call to report to the Admiralty. Bones got a similar call.

When Jim arrived with bones to Starfleet Academy's main building, he found the rest of the alpha shift crew was also there. 

Scotty had gone into the meeting room first, and they all watched Uhura’s arm trying to find out what happened in the office. The marks weren't helpful at all. Scots Gaelic was hard to understand for most people and really, Scotty’s translated thought of ‘ _no more ice!_ ’ wasn’t as helpful as Jim wanted it to be.

He came back grinning. He refused to tell the what was said by the Admiralty.

Then Sulu was called in. Then Chekov was called.  Both of them also refused to say why they were called in. Both of them were grinning just as hard as Scotty was.

Spock was called in next. He was in longer than the others, but when he left, he was still just as silent as the rest. He wasn’t grinning. Jim couldn’t get a read on what Spock was thinking.

Jim and Bones exchanged glances. What was going on?

Bones and Uhura were called in together, and Jim was the only one left waiting.

Now, as he left the room and saw the rest of the crew and their faces, he just grinned.

“They gave me the Enterprise!” Jim told them and did the very mature thing and started dancing. “I'm going to be a full captain!”

His arm burned with a message from his soulmate. Jim still couldn't read it. Bones said that the bandages could come off in a week.

Spock told him congratulations. Uhura smiled. Chekov, Sulu and Scotty cheered.

He was more or less tackled by Bones. Bones told him that he was assigned to the Enterprise. “They promoted us both! Me and Uhura, Jim! Once the damned thing is fixed, then I’ll be on the medical officer's list!”

Bones broke off the hug. “I need to be your chief medical officer. There is no ‘if’s,' ‘and’s’ or ‘but’s’ about it. I’m your CMO.”

Jim didn’t even have to think about it. “Of course, you are Bones. And you, Uhura? Wanna be my Chief comminutions officer? I believe that you did well with the position.”

Uhura was nodding even before his statement was finished. “As long as Scotty is CEO!”

“Was there even a question of who would be my chief engineering officer? Of course, Scotty is my CEO!” Jim told her and Scotty jumped up and down excitedly.

“We’ll need to rescue Keenser from ice hell if I’m CEO. I'll need an assistant.” Scotty told Jim.

Jim beamed. “I'll send in a request with my command lists. What about you two?” Jim turned and asked Sulu and Chekov. Jim could see Bones snap his head to look at Chekov, with an emotion Jim couldn’t read well out of the corner of his eye; Jim filled the expression away to think about later. He wanted to rib Bones for something sooner or later!

“We’re already assigned to the Enterprise, and they can't get us to leave. I've been given to the alpha shift.” Sulu said. Then he grinned. “Can I be your tactical officer and the chief helmsman? That was fun.”

“If you've got the quals (and I’m sure you do) then yes. Your cool head with the Narada was excellent.” Jim said, he looked at Chekov next. “And you? Are you staying to be my senior navigator?”

“If that's where you want me then I'll be there! I don't want to be on another ship right now. I want the Enterprise.” Chekov said with an earnest grin. Jim fought the urge to pat the boy on his head.

“Excellent. What about you Mr. Spock…?” Jim turned to look at where the Vulcan had been standing only to find empty space. He looked around and didn't see the Vulcan anywhere.

“I wonder where he went,” Jim said, disappointed. He wanted Spock by his side. Jim wanted Spock to be his first officer. He needed Spock to be his first officer. Why didn't he stay?

Bones grumbled, “Who cares? Let’s celebrate! We need to tell Jo and Kevin!”

The others were heading for the doors and saying their goodbye’s. They would see each other in three days for graduation.

Jim nodded at Bones. He'll find Spock tomorrow and ask him. Bones pulled him along toward the exit to the main campus.

Just before they left the building, Jim saw someone that made him stop dead in his tracks.

The old Spock.

He was here. On earth.

What.

“Hey Bones, I need to meet someone before going home. Please don't tell Kev and JoJo without me!” Jim said to bones.

Bones frowned but nodded. “Is gonna take too long? If it isn’t, then I’ll wait outside. If I let you go home without me, then you might end up at a bar. And no, that’s not happening.”

“I don't think it will take longer than a few minutes. I'll be back!” Jim told bones. He turned to the older Vulcan.

Old Spock was standing off the atrium in a hallway looking at Jim. Jim opened his mouth to say something, but he didn't know what to say.

“Hello Jim, or should I say Captain?” Old Spock asked after a moment. His voice was familiar around Jim’s new permanent rank. “I have heard that you are still officially in command of the Enterprise.”

Jim shook his head. “I will be in three days when we graduate. But thank you. How did you get here? I thought you were still on Delta Vega?”

Old Spock smiled faintly. “I was, but there was a ship of Vulcans who were able to beam me up and take me to earth. I have been here for several weeks now, my friend.”

Jim could see that the older Spock was much more emotive than his Spock. The man had faint emotions running across his face, and Jim could read them. With his Spock, Jim was still learning the man’s tells.

“Did Starfleet call you in today to give you the Enterprise?” Old Spock asked. “I thought the Enterprise’s crew had a week of shore leave.”

Jim nodded and leaned against the wall of the corridor. “Me and the rest of the alpha shift bridge crew got called in today for assignments. They gave me the Enterprise, not ten minutes ago. I’m going to take command officially on the day of graduation. I have to pick my department heads, but I’m not worried.”

“Congratulations, my friend.” Old Spock said. “Has my counterpart asked for the first officer position?”

“No. We just found out, but he disappeared before I could even ask him. I really want him as my first officer. We worked so well together. Both during the fight on the Narada and the long trip back.” Jim said, his voice mournful. He wished Spock hadn’t disappeared.

“Ah. I am sure he will be on the Enterprise.” Old Spock said. “If he is anything like me, and he is, then the Enterprise is where he will want to be. I have confidence.” He moved his hands like he had a nervous twitch but then he stilled them. Jim wondered about that moment for a short moment. “Although you have received command much earlier than the Jim Kirk of my timeline did, I am also confident that you will be a good captain.”

“How old was I in your timeline?” Jim asked, curious.

Old Spock smiled lightly again. “He was thirty-two. Young but not as young as you. But of course, the Narada never happened for him, so he wasn’t as tested as you were.”

“Ah. That makes sense…” Jim trailed off as he watched Old Spock not check his hand a second time and moved his right hand to cover up his left forearm. Right where the marks were on most people.

Jim stared at the gesture for a moment as he realized what the old Spock has lost.

“Oh my god. You lost your soulmate when you came here didn’t you?!” Jim said, horrified he hadn’t realized sooner. Old Spock lost his soulmate when he came to this timeline. He had no one here. Did the marks even work? Was his soulmate even born?

For a moment, Old Spock looked lost and sad. Like he had at the end of the meld in the cave. “No, I lost my soulmate long before I came to this timeline. My T’hy’la died many years ago.”

That word called to Jim’s soul the second time as it had the first time during the meld. “T’hy’la?” he asked.

Old Spock quietly said, “Soulmate, more or less.”

“Ah. May I ask if I met my soulmate?” Jim asked. He had long known his soul mate was Vulcan, but he wondered if the other Jim knew his.

Old Spock looked somewhere between amused and pained. “yes, you did. I guess you haven’t? I thought you had?”

“Not yet. I’m not sure they are alive. I have one wound left from the battle because of a poisoned blade, and of course, it’s right over my marks. I hope they got off of Vulcan, but I’m not sure. All the burning I feel could be from the poison and not my soulmate’s thoughts….” Jim trailed off when he realized that he told Old Spock something he hadn’t mentioned to anyone ever. Including Kevin and Bones, both of whom knew every other secret Jim had.

That his marks burned when his soulmate thought about him. That they could almost speak in thoughts. That while they could never give any identifying information, they could communicate. The mere idea was laughable for most people. The marks never worked like that as far as everyone knew.

But Jim’s did.

Old Spock just nodded. “I was aware that your marks burned more often than standard. But I am also sure that your soulmate lives.”

Jim did not fail to notice that Old Spock didn’t tell him who his soulmate was. Jim didn’t ask.

“I have to go; Bones is waiting,” Jim said after a moment. “Have a good day….” Jim trailed off. He realized that calling Old Spock, ‘Old Spock’ wasn’t very polite.

Old Spock chuckled softly. A sound that Jim could never imagine his Spock making.  “Call me ‘Sepak.' I had a cousin named that, and it’s a common enough name.”

“Ok, then Sepak. Have a good day.” Jim told him. He would still probably call old Spock, old Spock in his head but having a name he could reference in public would make things easier.

“Live long and prosper, Jim. Go see the good Doctor.” Old Spock said giving him the Ta’al.

Jim left Old Spock and found Bones and went home to tell Kev and Joanna the good news.

Kevin predictably freaked out when Jim told him. In a good way. But Jim still considered the reaction a freak out.

“You're the captain?!” Kevin said. He had collapsed on the couch when Jim told him.

“Yep. Officially.” Jim said back.

Kevin leaped up and hugged Jim tightly. “That’s amazing! Now I have a ship to reach for when I graduate!”

Jim laughed. “Are you finally starting the academy?” he said picking up Kevin and spinning him around in their small living room.

“Yeah!” Kevin said. “I’ll start in the summer semester. I will graduate faster than you.” He said with a defiant look on his face.

Jim matched the look. “You better work hard. I only take the best. My kid or not. No Nepotism for you Mister.”

Kevin held the look for a moment longer before the grin burst out. “I’ll beat my old man’s record. It will be easy.”

“Will you two ever stop competing?!” Bones burst out from the kitchen where he and Joanna had been watching the exchange. Joanna was laughing at them.

“No.” Jim and Kevin said simultaneously.

Later, after Kevin had fallen asleep on the couch with Joanna sleeping on his chest, being the most adorable siblings in creation, (in Jim’s humble opinion), Bones brought up the one thing Jim had been avoiding thinking about.

If his soul mate was alive then would they want to join the future Vulcan Colony or would they try to find Jim.

Jim hoped and prayed that if his soulmate were alive, then they would want to find him.

But he didn’t expect it.

“Jim, the bandages can come off now. We can find out?” bones said over their first glass of bourbon.

Jim stared at his arm. “Bones. Take them off. I need to know.” He held out his arm for Bones to unravel the bandages. Bones hated using such old-fashioned medicine, but he did still unwrapped the bandages with a practiced hand.

Inch by inch Jim’s marks were revealed, with only a slight scar running across his arm. The marks had pushed themselves on top of the scarred skin.

_I should help my people. It is the most logical thing to do. …. I will meditate on this..._

Jim’s soulmate marks trailed off. Jim’s heart gave a painful lurch. He showed the marks to Bones so that he could read them clearly.

His soulmate was going to help his people.

Bones observed Jim carefully. Jim forced himself not to cry or react. Of course, his soulmate was going to help his people. It was selfish of Jim to think of only himself while his soulmate was hurting for the loss of their entire planet.

He took a deep breath and exhaled.

“Bones, can you get a Soul Mark Cover? Something like Soul Skin?” Jim asked.

Bones nodded. “I can, tomorrow from Starfleet medical, but Jim, are you sure?” He was rubbing his own marks, the Russian words looking cheerful in comparison to Jim’s marks: _Я все еще на Энтерпрайз!_ (I’m still on the Enterprise!)

To cover up the marks meant that his soulmate wouldn’t be getting his thoughts either. It meant cutting off his soulmate for a period of time.

Maybe that would make things easier for his soulmate to help their people.

Covering up the marks would help Jim not feel so selfish and feel abandoned by his soulmate in their trying time. He would just concentrate on becoming the best-damned captain Starfleet has ever seen. And not that his soulmate didn’t want him.

“Yes. I don’t think I want to watch them put me second, Bones.” Jim said honestly.

Bones sighed. “Fine. I’ll get one of the ones that last six or so months. They are the best for things like this.”

 _Nash veh tal-tor ik nash veh tor ri istaya tor trasha yel-halitra_ (I find that I do not wish to leave Starfleet.)

_But I must help my people._

-

 Bones was sure that his kid was going to kill him. Joanna was so excited to go to the Enterprise that she hadn’t sleep in two days.

And if Joanna hadn’t slept then Bones hadn’t slept either. Not that he would be getting much sleep tonight anyway.

They were due to start moving into the ship tomorrow. All senior staff was required to transfer in first; the rest of the crew will report in the coming three weeks.

Graduation was a week ago. While most graduations were happy events, the ceremony had a somber air. The graduating class was cut in half. While many who lived and survived the battle over Vulcan, were insistent on returning to Starfleet, they were also too injured to be much use to Starfleet.

At the end of the ceremony, Admiral Pike, formerly captain of the Enterprise, was relieved by a very nervous and not showing it, Jim Kirk.

The entire surviving graduating class had cheered. 

Jim’s mother was live-streamed the ceremony by his brother. Bones hadn't met Jim brother before, had only heard Jim and Kevin talking about him, but he liked Sam Kirk. Sam’s wife and his kid had come as well. Sam, Jim, and Kevin had pulled the is Jim a father or an older brother joke on everyone.

Everyone who had served on the Enterprise was given a choice to be assigned to another ship or stay with the Enterprise. They all wanted to remain on the Enterprise, to serve under Jim. With one notable exception: Spock. Spock hadn’t announced any plans to stay in Starfleet or join the Vulcans in creating a new home world.

Jim had taken Spock’s silence as well as he had his soulmate’s choice. Very poorly but trying to move on just the same.

The damage to the Enterprise was nearly fixed. While the structural damage remained, the engines were done. They had warp drive again. Scotty was having a ball. Jim had spent more days in the last week in the Iowa Shipyards than he had at home.

Jim was captain and had reported the ship about an hour after graduation.

Bones was excused, and he just wanted to sleep, but Joanna refused to let him. She was just asking a million questions trying to stall going to bed.

“Daddy, can I see your marks?” Joanna asked. She was lying in bed, all wrapped up.

“Sure, darling. Why though?” Bones said as he pulled up his sleeve and showed her the marks.

 _Я отчитаюсь через два дня, и через месяц буду в космосе. Ура!_ (I report in two days and then its space in a month. Yay!)

Joanna sat up to get a better view and Bones sighed. It was nearing midnight. He had been trying to get her to sleep for the better part of four hours. Three bedtime stories and four ‘desperately needed’ cups of water later, Bones has given up.

“I wanted to see the Russian. Is it like what that Ensign Mr. Chekov speaks?” Joanna asked trying to make sense of the marks on his forearm.

“Yes. Mr. Chekov speaks Russian.” Bones told her. Joanna had met Pavel on the day the Enterprise got to space dock. She had liked him. Pavel had taken a shine to her. 

Bones had met Pavel's parents. They had also liked Joanna. 

It was hard not to like his daughter. Normally, she was a delight and joy. Bones wasn't feeling as charitable to his daughter when she wouldn't go to sleep when she needed to. 

Joanna scrunched her face in concertation. “Is he your soulmate?” she asked.

Bones felt his face turn red. He wanted to tell her no.

But he had his suspicions.

And he couldn’t lie to his daughter. Not about that. Not when her soulmate was her fifteen-year-old brother. he didn’t have a platonic bond. He had a romantic one. Bones was sure of it.

But he wasn't ready for it.   

“I don’t know, sweetie.” Bones said, honestly.

Joanna nodded, trying to fight a yawn. Bones internally cheered. That was the first sign of sleepiness all night. “It’s time for good girls to get to sleep. We have a big day tomorrow.” She leaned back down onto the bed and Bones kissed her good night (for the third time), and he left the room. He was pretty sure that Jo would stay down this time.

He, on the other hand, still had work to do.

As the new Chief Medical Officer of a brand-new ship, he had to build the medical program from scratch. While the former CMO had started to get a program up, Bones had to expand the partially built program as he went during the trip back. Bones still had a lot of work to do. They were getting a lot of the new crew and the old system needed to do a lot more than before. The old program wasn’t good enough.

First, he needed a new Head nurse. The temporary one he had appointed didn’t want the position. He had been happier as the lead lab tech. Bones was flipping through the new medical officers looking for one that would fit the framework he was creating.

So far, he had narrowed it down to three. An Andorian named Tin’mak; A human, Wise, and another human named Chapel.

He had to make a choice tonight. The head nurse needed to report in three days. Bones read the profiles and made his choice. Chapel. She would be the best fit. She had all the qualifications. He needed a nurse practitioner; she was it. She would be best.

Then he needed to set up baseline readings for the senior staff. He could prefill some of the information but the rest he will have to get when everyone reported to the ship.

He had already completed Jim’s and his own. Uhura’s, Scotty’s, Sulu’s and Pavel’s were waiting to be finished. Jim hadn’t announced a first officer. Whoever Jim picked for that would have to have a medical file filled out.

Bones methodically filled out the forms. Name, Rank, especially, age, species, allergies, marks, illnesses, vision, hearing, smell, Psi test results, vaccinations, etc. Then he would fill out some baseline readings when he examined them once they were all aboard. He finished Uhura’s, Scotty’s and Sulu’s quickly.

It was filling out Pavel’s did he run into a problem.

Or he ran into his soulmate.

He thinks.

Pavel’s Birthday was around when his soulmate’s thoughts first appeared on his arm. Fourteen years younger than he was. Russian. Marks were in standard.

Bones had felt his arm burn when they first spoke, hadn’t he? He had been in surgery for hours before that and in the chaos of the day he had ignored the feeling but what if?

What if Pavel was his soulmate?

Bones felt his face turn red again. Pavel Chekov might be his soulmate. That… didn’t seem possible. Pavel was bright and friendly and a phenomenon.

Bones was an angry, old single father with no bedside manner.

But he wondered. Bones finished the chart and placed his padd down and ran his hands through his hair. Pavel wasn’t his soulmate. There was no possible way he was. Pavel obviously loved the stars and had joined Starfleet because he loved them. Not because there was nowhere else to go.

The man was good-looking and young. With his whole future ahead of him.

Bones wasn’t Pavel’s soulmate. Besides if they were soulmates wouldn’t Pavel’s marks burn as well? Wouldn’t he have said something about it if his marks burned?

“What are you doing up, Bones? It's nearly two in the morning.” Jim asked as he stumbled through the door. He had moved most of his stuff to the Enterprise a few days ago, but he demanded to help when Bones and Joanna moved. Kevin was staying at Starfleet Academy's dorms when they opened in a few weeks.

“I still had work to do.” Bones said shortly. “And I could say that about you! I thought you were going to come over in the morning before the movers.” He stood from the couch and followed Jim into the kitchen. Jim poured a glass of water and finished it in one long swallow.

“I thought about it, but I wanted to be here,” Jim told him. He was tired looking, but he had an air of contentment around him. Like he had found his place in the universe.

Bones smiled. It was about damned time.

“Been busy?” he asked.

Jim nodded. “Yeah. The last of the structural damage is being fixed this week. Then it’s just prep for space flight. Once we’re in Earth Space Dock, then the rest of the crew will be transporting aboard. Then it’s off on our shakedown cruise and then our first missions.”

Bones felt a fission of fear run through him at ‘Space Flight’ and ‘Shakedown Cruise.' He had already survived a battle and a long trip back home. He could do this.

Jim caught the look of panic that came over Bones’ face and smiled gently. “It will be fine, Bones. you will be all right.”

Bones snorted. “I know I will be. I can’t leave you alone right?”

Jim just grinned.

-

The voice that greeting him when he walked into the medical bay was happy and young.

“Mr. Spock! Mr. Spock!”

Joanna McCoy ran up to meet Spock and nearly hugged him but checked herself at the last moment and waved instead. Spock surmised that she did not know the Ta’al or could not perform it.

He gave her the ta’al in greeting. “Is your father in his office, Miss McCoy?” he asked.

“Yep! Are you the first officer?” She asked. She grabbed him by the sleeve and was almost careful not to touch skin. Spock also surmised that she had been told by someone, probably her father, to not contact species that were telepaths.

“If the captain allows me to be then yes. Once I have finished checking here in medical, then I will go up to the bridge and ask.” Spock said allowing himself to be pulled along to the doctor’s office.

He had been offered the position of the first officer on the Enterprise years ago now. When Captain, now Admiral, Pike had suggested it, Spock had agreed immediately. The Admiralty had offered it again when they arrived back on Earth, three weeks ago.

He had not known what he wanted to do at that point so he had merely responded that if Jim Kirk was going to lead the Enterprise, then it should be his choice.

He had been torn between staying in Starfleet or staying with the rest of the Vulcan refugees.

Between the stars that had always called for his whole life and helping his ailing people.

Between logic and desire.

A few days later, while looking for his father for an update on the Vulcan colony plans, he met his much older counterpart.

The conversation that followed was an eye opener, to use a phrase his soulmate said once.

“What do you mean to set aside logic?” Spock had asked.

The older Spock had smiled faintly. That had caused a fission of shock to run through him. The expression was unfamiliar but at the same time seemed to fit. “You have the ability to be two places at once. I believe the stars call you now as much as they did me at one time. Now I am old and would like to stay in one place. You still have the ability to see the universe and all the wonders in it. Go young one. Go to your stars. They are in need of chasing.”

Spock had stared at the older version of himself. He could be in two places at once.

He could stay in Starfleet.

He could remain on the Enterprise.

He could stay with Jim.

Jim.

“Did you have a soulmate?” he asked instead of responding to the older Spock’s comment about chasing stars. They both knew that the older Spock was right.

The older Spock looked away for a moment and seemed to get lost in something in his head. “I do. But he is long gone from me. But I always felt that burn when he thought about me. He was my T’hy’la.”

“Who was he?” Spock asked, because if his soulmate was T’hy’la, then he needed to know. He needed to find him. His marks hadn’t fully burned in weeks, and they remained blurred in a worrying way. There had been a moment that they were clear, but the marks were soon blurry again.

The older Spock shook his head. “I will not tell you, Nu’ri veh. It is not my place. I will tell you that he is a man that I was proud to stand by his side. He is the best I’ll ever know.”

Spock allowed a frown to cross his features. “But if he is T’hy’la then…”

“You will find him, Nu’ri Veh.” The older Spock said. “For in every universe, we are connected.”

“Do not call me young one, Elder,” Spock told him. He was not a child. Spock did not appreciate the reminder that he was still young in the eyes of his own people. 

“Then do not call me Elder. Refer to me as Sepak.” The older Spock said. “I find that it will remove confusion. Oh, and if you wish to tell Jim that you know about my existence, then that is your prerogative.”

Now as Spock stood in the medical bay, hours before the Enterprise launched again, Spock had made his choice.

The stars were always calling. His soulmate was calling. He wanted to go. Logic, in this case, be damned.

“Joanna! What did I tell you about touching touch telepaths?” Doctor McCoy’s voice rang out over the medical bay.

Joanna didn’t stop pulling Spock forward as she responded but she did sound slightly petulant. “Not to… but I’m not touching Mr. Spock’s skin! Just his sleeve!”

“Oh Joanna…,” McCoy sighed out, but he turned his attention to Spock. “Jim’ll flip his lid when he sees you. Please tell me you’ll shut him up and accept the offer of the first officer? He’s been pouting for days and refusing to pick one.” McCoy was already reading Spock’s baseline health.

“I plan on asking when I go up the bridge once I am done here,” Spock said. “And Miss McCoy was not touching my skin. She was very polite.” He was lead to an exam table, and McCoy motioned that he should lie down.

McCoy frowned at Spock, but as Spock seemed to always cause that expression on the good doctor’s face, he paid it no mind. “Good. I told her not to. But I’m not sure she remembered in the excitement. It’s been nonstop since we got here two weeks ago. She’s been helping me, but soon I’ll be able to set her up with some studies.”

“Today has been busy. I believe that Miss McCoy would excel at her studies.” Spock said. “Has most of the crew reported to medical?”

The Doctor huffed. “Yes. All of them but you. And you aren’t the first officer yet so don’t go asking questions like that until you’re official.” The tricorder beeped and whorled. McCoy frowned down at the readings, but Spock suspected that was a typical frown, not an angry one. “Your psi readings are lower than Vulcan average, but that is to be expected after severe trauma. I'm sure time will heal much of the psi trauma, but we’ll watch that as we move forward. I need to check your Marks for the logs. Let me see them.”

Spock sighed and raised his arm up and pushed his sleeve up to show the marks.

They were still blurred and smeared, but some of what was written was legible.

_…. can’t believe that this is…_

Doctor McCoy looked at the smears of Spock’s marks and sighed. “Soulmate’s got a cover on?”

“As far as I can tell, Doctor. They have had the Marks covered since the Narada incident.” Spock responded.

“Can’t blame ‘em,” McCoy said as he wrote something down on his padd.

Spock allowed a small frown. “What do you mean doctor?” he didn’t understand why his soulmate would cover up their marks on purpose.

“Well, you didn’t make a choice to stay with Starfleet until recently did you?” McCoy asked. At Spock’s nod, he continued. “And you were debating whether remain with the rest of the Vulcans and start a colony, right?”

Spock did not fully nod then; he just tilted his head slightly in acknowledgment.

“And if you were anything like Jim’s soulmate then it was a lot of thinking going on. I don’t blame your soulmate for not wanting to see that. For not being a consideration. Of course, I don’t blame you either for thinking that you may want to stay with your people. Why wouldn’t you? You just lost a whole hell of a lot. But if your soulmate is terran then you can see why they wouldn’t want to see that on their arm.”  

McCoy paused. “Or they put the cover on thinking you were dead, but then that’s just as depressing.”

Spock sat silent for a moment as McCoy waved his tricorder over the marks. “Yep. There is nothing wrong with your side of the marks. It's definitely your soulmate covering theirs up. Hopefully, they’ll stop soon. Other than that, you’re ready to go. Now report to the bridge and give Jim a good scare.”

“One query before I leave, if I may Doctor?” Spock asked. He did not believe he would have the courage to ask this later.

“Go ahead,” McCoy said as he wrote more notes on the padd.

Spock took a breath in and asked, “Did the captain covered up his marks?”

McCoy stopped writing and looked up. “Yes. But I’m not telling you anymore! Now get!”

“Yes, Doctor.” Spock stood from the bed and went to leave the med bay. Joanna McCoy waved at him from her seat. This time her hand was in a close but not yet possible Ta’al.

He had confidence that she would, in time, be able to perform the act.

When he reached the turbo lift for the bridge, Spock looked down at the marks again.

_…wonder what we’ll see on…._

Spock wondered too.

As he entered the bridge and was immodesty noticed by Nyota, Jim nearly jumped out of his chair. Spock walked toward Jim and the center of the bridge.

Spock noticed that his marks burned for the first time in weeks.

“I know you haven’t appointed a first officer. May I offer myself for consideration? I can provide references if needed.”

Jim’s relieved look was immediately covered up by a smile that made Spock pause. “of Couse Mr. Spock. I don’t want anyone else. Want the science officer too?”

Spock looked him straight on. “I believe the term is ‘hell yes.'”

Jim just stared at Spock for a heartbeat and then burst out laughing. “Excellent. This is going to be awesome. Please take the science station, Mr. Spock. Helm!” Jim waved at the station to his right and then turned his attention to Mr. Sulu and Mr. Chekov. “We ready?”

Mr. Sulu grinned and said, “Yes sir!”

“Then take us out of here!”

Spock was sure this is where he needed to be. This is where he belonged. The stars were calling.

When he sat down at his station, Nyota smiled at him, and he inclined his head back to her. Then Spock pulled his sleeve and read what had caused his marks to burn.

_…. ere! Yes! He’s here! My c…._

-

Nyota could see that the stress of the shakedown cruise was probably more than the stress of getting home after the Narada.

But Kirk seemed to handle the situation well.

The crew was aware of the eyes watching them. They had one admiral on board as an observer. Dermal Lahaina wasn’t there to judge the crew or even their reactions. They were on board to observe the ship itself and its reaction.

Scotty and Kirk had both spent lots of time with them. Nyota was a little worried about getting Scotty back at the end of the day, but he always appeared at her quarters after dinner. So, she wasn’t as worried as she once was.

The crew was also aware of the media of the Federation just waiting for information about the Enterprise. The crew as a whole tried to ignore that as much as they could.

Nyota, herself, was now a department head and full lieutenant. She had chosen an assistant. A bright young ensign that was stationed on the Enterprise before things when to shit with the Narada. The older man who had worked as her assistant on the way back to earth had requested to move to the diplomacy team and not be directly in the communications chain of command.

She had allowed it.

Nyota was sure that he was never going to be entirely comfortable with her as a leader. She didn’t want to deal with that for the rest of her time on the Enterprise.

On the bridge, Kirk was leading the Admiral around, and Nyota was at her station trying to find the last of the bugs in the system. They had slight tense translation error in several of the Federation’s languages, and Nyota was sure it was a problem in the stations. The small error was driving half of her techs and translators up a wall.

“Nyota,” Spock said as he landed over from his station.

Nyota looked up from her work and smiled at Spock. “Yes?”

“Have you located the error? I believe the error has started to bleed over to the medical translated files if the latest message that the good doctor has sent me is any indicator.” He told her seriously.

Nyota looked up from the code on the monitor. “It’s reached the medical library now?! No, I haven’t, but I am looking. I’ll call up a tech to help me do this faster.”

Spock nodded. “I will relay to Doctor McCoy that the problem is being addressed.” And he turned back to his station.

Nyota reached over to call up a tech and caught sight of her marks.

 _A_ _bha an deuchainn mu dheireadh astar na nacelles. Tha an rud mu dheireadh a dhol a dhèanamh a tha a 'gluasad agus deuchainnean a tha seo feasgar_ (that was the last speed test of the nacelles. The last thing to get done is the maneuvering tests, and that is this afternoon.)

She got a comm message indicator from engineering that she passed on to the captain’s chair. “Scott to Bridge.”

Kirk broke away from the Admiral and answered it from his chair. “Kirk here!”

“The nacelles are good. We are good to start the maneuvering test whenever you are, sir.” Scotty’s voice came over the speaker.

Kirk smiled and said, “Excellent work Scotty! Give us a moment to see if the Helm is ready for the maneuvering tests.”

Spock stood up and walked to the navigation station and spoke quietly to Sulu and Chekov. After a moment, he stood up and nodded at Kirk.

“Kirk to Engineering!” Kirk called immediately.

Scotty answered right away. “Scott here.”

“We’re ready to go Scotty. Prepare for quick and rough maneuvers. We’ll start when we get a secured from all departments.” Kirk said. He glanced up at Nyota. She got the message and turned back to her station and started an All Hands call.

“All hands, all hands, this is the bridge. Secure for maneuvers. I repeat Secure for maneuvers. Departments, please report to the bridge when all is secured.” She said over the ship’s broadcast system. She started to get calls from departments all over the ship almost immediately.

About a half hour had passed before Nyota got an ‘all good’ from all the departments. Medical was the last to call in. They had the most to secure to no one was surprised to be waiting on them. And a Chief Medical Officer that needed to sedated or at least secured firmly before they started several hours of violent and rapid maneuvers.

“Sir. We are ready to go. All departments have reported all secured.” She reported. She returned back to her seat and pulled at the belts on the chair. It wasn’t always that they would need the seat belts but space trials maneuvering tests was a time that they did.

Kirk sat back in his chair. The admiral was given a jump seat near the turbo lifts and everyone else strapped in.

“Ok Guys! Let’s go. Let’s start nice and easy. Helm! Soft port leading into a hard port.” Sulu pulled the ship to a circled to the left. For the first part of the tests they would be staying in the same plane but the maneuvers, Nyota knew, would get really wild shortly.

As the tests went on and the Enterprise proved her maneuverability, Nyota could watch the command team.

Spock had been the only one to remain standing. He hadn’t been able to strap in as he was moving back and forth from the helm and his station. The Science Station held back up positioning sensors and telemetry sensors that had to be calibrated. As the ship tossed and turned he stayed holding on to Sulu’s or Chekov’s chairs. He moved back to the science station shortly after the hard upward starboard pull had caused the station to beep loudly.

“Anything to be concerned of Mr. Spock?” Kirk asked as the ship became level.

Spock did not look up from the station as he read the data crawling across the screen. “Not as such, captain. It seems that the last maneuver has shifted one of the astrodynamics lab’s sensor arrays. We must make a note to check that the sensors are tightened down correctly.”

Kirk nodded. He made a note on his padd, and the admiral did as well.

“Thank you, Mr. Spock. Continue to monitor the situation. Please strap in now. Don’t want you falling over the bridge!”

Then he was calling out the next maneuver.

Except Nyota saw Kirk freeze for a split second as he finished his sentence to Spock.

Kirk leaned toward his left arm for a heartbeat. Like his marks had just done something.

If it had been just Kirk freezing, then she would have ignored it, but _Spock_ had frozen too. Just for a split second. And he had glanced down at his left arm.

Like their marks had done something. Like they had both felt a burn.

Nyota could see it perfectly.

The fascination they had with each other.

The little moments she had witnessed.

How they worked perfectly together.

Jim Kirk and S’hin T’gai Spock were soulmates.

And neither of them knew it.

As the next maneuver was executed and the ship was pulled sharply down, and to the left, Nyota thought that Kirk and Spock being soulmates would make a lot of sense except… the burns. Nyota had felt the marks burn when she first caught Scotty’s eye. The feeling was rather distinct. When she had gone to Engineering, her marks had burned more strongly.

She couldn’t have ignored it even if she wanted to.

She knew that every mark burns differently; the feeling is stronger for some than it is for others, but they still burn.

How did Kirk miss that feeling? And how did Spock?!

She would have to ask around to get more of an idea. She wouldn’t go to Spock before she had more conclusive evidence other than her gut feeling about body language.

Her gut was good, but he deserved more evidence than just intuition.

 _Ugh_ _. I have space legs, and this is getting to be a lot. Next is full reverse from a full stop. I hope she’s faring better!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is chapter six! I hope you all enjoy. I love the comments I've been getting, they are making me smile all the time! 
> 
> Special thanks to Erlander and it_is_in_nirvana for helping me fix the Russian! 
> 
> I really like this chapter and I hope you do too!


	7. Chapter 7

 Pavel hadn’t laughed so hard in months, if not years.

The rec room was filled with the Alpha shift crew. Scotty and Uhura were sitting on a couch that looked too large for just the pair of them, but no one wanted to interrupt the cuddling that was going on.

Hikaru sat next to Pavel at the table near Captain Kirk, Commander Spock, and Len. Joanna McCoy had fallen asleep on the couch that Len sat at. She had rested her head on the doctor’s lap, and he was stroking her hair softly.

They were all celebrating. It was a party to celebrate surviving space trials and getting the admiral off the ship.

“And then I told the head doctor where to shove his degree because that was all it was worth.” Len finished. Len had just finished telling the rec room about a head doctor that he had to deal with early on into his residency.

The Captain, who had given them all permission to call him Jim while they were drinking together, was laughing so hard that he was actually crying. Even Spock looked slightly amused. Hikaru had snorted quietly next to Pavel and Pavel was trying hard not to start wheezing. Scotty and Uhura weren’t even trying to hide the fact they were both wheezing.

“God, Bones! Why hadn’t you told me that one already?! That was brilliant! His face must have been priceless.” Kirk had finally gotten his laughter under control. He was wiping his tears away with the hand not holding onto his replicated beer.

Pavel took a sip of his Vodka with juice. The juice was only there to hide the fact the vodka was poorly replicated. He had been told under no uncertain terms that if he was going to serve on the ship and fight with them, then he could drink with them. Federation and Earth laws be damned.

Spock himself handed Pavel the vodka, so Pavel was sure he was in the clear.

Len had given him the cranberry juice after Pavel made a face when he tasted the vodka.

Len just smiled lightly into his replicated beer. “Well, Joycelyn didn’t think it was as funny, so I didn’t remember until recently.”

Kirk’s laughing slowed, but the small smile remained on his face.  “She wouldn’t, would she?”

Len shook his head.

“Who is this Joycelyn?” Spock asked.  Pavel wanted to know, but he was still having problems catching his breath. Spock beat him to the punch. He was the only one not drinking any alcohol. Spock had a cup of tea. He still seemed to be enjoying the conversation and the company.

Len just sighed, but his smile remained. “She’s my ex. JoJo’s mother.”

“I do not understand how she did not enjoy the tale. It was …humorous. Most humans, as evidenced by around us, would agree.” Spock said. He had tilted his head to the side slightly in puzzlement. Pavel had worked with him long enough to know that he was trying to figure something out when he did that.

Kirk took a long pull of his beer. “The Ex was a little crazy back then too, wasn’t she bones?”

Len nodded. “She was. But no longer talking about her, yes, Jim. The face the head doctor made was beautiful.”

Pavel started to laugh again. Len glanced his way and smiled. Pavel was sure that if his face weren't already red from laughing, he would turn even redder from that smile.

Len smiled at Pavel like he was the only one in the room.  The expression was a recent development. The first time he saw it, Pavel had reported to the ship after shore leave and repairs he had gone down to medical like he was supposed to.

Joanna had been the first to greet him. Apparently, that was her job, and she took it very seriously. “Hello, Mr.…” she paused for a moment trying to remember his name. They had been introduced when the Enterprise had returned to earth. But hadn’t seen each other since then. “Um… Mr. Ensign! Right? Who do you want to see?”

Pavel smiled down at Joanna, “It's Chekov, Ensign Chekov. I need to see your father. He's the one in charge of Alpha shift’s medical, right?”

“Ok, this way! He doesn't have a Patient right now, so I can take you to him.” Joanna grabbed Pavel’s hand and pulled him around the desk she had been coloring at and pulled him toward the chief medical officer's office.

“Daddy! You have a patient!” Joanna sang out when they reached the doorway.

Doctor McCoy, Pavel remembered that he could call him Len, was at his desk already pulling Pavel’s paperwork up on his padd. “Thank you, JoJo. Please wait outside while I’m with him. After we can go to lunch and we’ll see what the replicators have for us today.”

“Ok, Daddy. I’m going to talk to Miss Chapel.” Joanna said as she left the room, the door sliding shut behind her.

“Good morning Mr. Chekov. How are you this morning?” Len said, reaching for the medical tricorder on his desk.

Pavel took a seat in the chair. “Please call me Pavel. I like it better.” Pavel was sure he imagined the light flush on the doctor’s face, but it was a cute look none the less. “Can I still call you Len? You said I could a while ago.”

Len nodded. “That’s fine. Ok. Your baselines are all excellent for someone who is in his late teens. Your eighteenth birthday is in three months?” At Pavel’s agreement, Len added something to the padd. “You’ll need three more vaccinations when you turn eighteen so please come back that week, and we’ll get those done.”

“Yes, Doctor. That’s the last of the vaccinations?” Pavel asked. He was looking forward to being an adult in the eyes of the law. He was tired of the being the ‘child’ prodigy.

Len looked up from the notes. “Well other than the situational vaccinations, yes. But everyone will have to get the situational immunizations if something comes up.” The tricorder beeped, and Len looked at the readouts and added them to the padd. Then he paused for a heartbeat. Pavel watched as he took a deep breath and said, “Let me look at your marks.”

Pavel frowned. He didn’t want to know what his (maybe platonic?) soulmate was thinking right now. He was with the doctor. He was alone with Len for the first time in weeks.

Pavel lifted his right arm and pulled his sleeve up.

_God, I don’t know if I’m more nervous about being right or being wrong. I know which one I want to happen…_

“Wonder what’s up with them?” Pavel mused out loud.

There was a moment of silence when the doctor was just staring at his arm. Then he looked at Pavel and opened his mouth to say something but didn’t.

Pavel tilted his head slightly. “Len?”

Len took a deep breath for a second time, and the tricorder in his hand beeped again. Len quickly glanced down at the screen instead of saying whatever he was going to say. “Never mind. But your marks are reading fine. You are ready to go, Pavel.”

“Ok, Len. Will you be at dinner tonight?” Pavel had to ask.

Len took a moment, but he nodded. “I'll see you then, ” and then he smiled in a way that made Pavel flush bright red and his stomach twist. Like Pavel was the most amazing person in the world.

Pavel shook his head of the memory. He had received that smile several more times since checking in. Pavel always loves it.

Kirk stood. “I better stop for tonight. We’re getting a shuttle tomorrow early of the last of the crew. I'll need to be there.” H finished his beer and placed the glass in the recycler nearby.

“Who are we getting?” Hikaru asked as they all watched Kirk.

“A few for engineering and security mostly but it’s a mix for everyone. Two more for the medical staff, so there's that too.” Kirk said.

Len looked up from the last of his beer. “I only needed one more doctor. why am I getting two?”

Kirk turned and grinned at Bones. “’Cuz Starfleet says we might need more, so they are sending us more.”

“And I don’t need another engineer!” Scotty pipped up from his place next to Uhura. “I won’t mind one, but they aren’t needed.”

“Well, one of Gaila’s soulmates is an environmental system engineer, and when they found each other, they refused to be separated.  One of her soulmates is already here. And she’s bringing one of her three soulmates with her.”

Uhura shot to her feet in excitement. “Gaila’s coming?! She said she was still waiting for orders last time we talked.”

Kirk nodded. “Got them both approved this morning. She’ll be here with her soulmate tomorrow. I’ve already given her other soulmate permission to be there. Wanna be there, too?”

“I'll be there!” Uhura’s sat down and snuggled into Scotty smiling happily. Pavel noticed that they had started to move in sync with the other. As the knowledge of what're the other one was doing at all times was engraved in their actions already.

Spock also finished his tea and stood to follow Kirk. “Have we received orders yet?”

 Kirk shook his head no. He still hadn't moved from standing next to the table. “Now that we’ve passed space trials, we’re going to be getting missions. But I'll expect we’ll get some milk runs and ferrying missions first.”

“I’m going to get going too. JoJo’s needs some sleep, and without that damned Admiral around, I can get started on her classes.” Len said putting his beer down and adjusting himself to side out from Joanna’s head without waking her.

Everyone else made agreeing noises and started to get up and leave.

Hikaru said something about calling Ben. And Pavel knew that he was going to have to avoid their quarters for half an hour or so.

If he didn’t then he would be caught listening to the constant ‘I miss you’s’ that both of them throw around. It was cute but annoying all at the same time.

Pavel watched as Kirk and Spock left together, Kirk trying to make Spock raise an eyebrow or something. Pavel wondered if anything was happening between them.

Pavel didn’t know and wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

“Pavel? Could you help me for a moment?” Len asked. Pavel turned and smiled when he saw that Len was trying to pick up the art supplies Joanna had brought. They had all been very excited to see Joanna’s picture of the enterprise. Kirk had said that Bones should frame it and put it up in his office.

“Sure, Len.” Pavel helped find the last bits of Joann’s crayons and paper while Len picked up all the art she had created.

Len smiled at the last picture that Joanna had drawn. Pavel leaned over to see. He crowded against Len, ignoring the way the man stiffened up suddenly.

“She really got all of us, didn’t she?” Pavel said as he looked at the drawing of the Alpha shift. Joanna and Len were in the middle but Kirk, Spock and a dark-haired man, who might be Kirk’s son, were there right next to them. Scotty and Uhura were slightly to the right of Joanna and Hikaru, and someone who must be an attempt at Ben was next to them. But Pavel was next to Len in the picture. Leaning in close together, they looked like Scotty and Uhura did. Like Hikaru and Ben did. Like soulmates.

Or at least a couple.

Pavel tried to let the twist of his stomach not show on his face.

Len relaxed and chuckled slightly. “She really did. If I’m framing that Enterprise picture, then I’m also framing this one. She’s been telling me she wants to be an artist someday. Things like this one make me think she can do it easily.”

“She is terrific,” Pavel said, looking up at Len. “Who’s the one next to her and Kirk?”

Len held his gaze for a moment and looked away. “That’s supposed to be Kevin. Jim’s boy. But she never gets him right like she gets everyone else. They’re soulmates so maybe that has something to do with it.”

“Soulmates? Already? Wow!” Pavel said as he moved away from Len. He didn’t want to, but if he stayed, he might do something impulsive. Like kiss Len.

Len stayed smiling down at the picture. “Yeah. Soulmates. Platonic too. He’s a brother she didn’t get from Joycelyn and me.”

Pavel didn’t voice his question. He really wanted to know about the woman who gave birth to Joanna. But they had spent a lot of time together while traveling back to Earth and tonight was the first time Len had ever mentioned her name.

Pavel could see that Len wasn’t willing to talk about her for whatever reason.

“Come on, JoJo. It’s time to go to bed.” Len said as he gently shook the little girl’s shoulder. Joanna made a small noise and opened her eyes slightly.

“Daddy? Bedtime?” she asked in a sleepy voice. She sat up and raised her arms to be picked up.

Len smiled and picked her up and settled her on his hip. “You are getting too big for this, Jo. But let’s get you to bed. Pavel? Do you mind helping me get her stuff to my rooms?”

Pavel nodded, eager to help Len in any matter. “Da. I can do that.”

He took the last of the supplies and followed Len out of the rec room and toward the senior officer quarters. Hikaru and Pavel’s quarters were in another part of the ship. But most of the senior officer quarters were close enough to the bridge that the captain or others could report there in moments. Len’s quarters were next to the turbo lift that went to the medical decks and engineering. At the other end of the hallway was the captain’s and first officer’s quarters.  

Pavel wanted to have the captain’s quarters someday, but he was also glad that he wasn't in the crewmen’s quarters.  They were cramped.

Len stopped in front of the CMO’s room. He gave his authorization code, and the door slid open.

Pavel followed Len in. He looked around curiously. The room was a mix of standard issue stuff and some of Joanna’s toys. Len went to the bedroom off the side. Pavel could hear him putting Joanna to sleep.

Len came back into the main room. Pavel was still holding Joanna's art.

“Let me take that,” Len said. He took the paper and the supplies. As he did his sleeve was pushed up slightly to show the bottom of his marks.

For a moment Pavel thought the words he could see were in Russian. But the marks blurred and Pavel couldn't see them anymore. 

“Thank you for your help, Pavel,” Len said after he put the supplies away. He gave Pavel that smile again.  

Pavel smiled back. “It's not a problem.”

_Oh god. He's cute, likes her, she likes him, he's smiling at me like I’m the best thing he's ever seen._

_Oh god. Am I ready for this?_

-

Spock had never really understood his mother when she would say: “time flies when you are having fun.”

As time was a constant and Vulcans did not have “fun” so as a child he never really understood the meaning.

But sometime in the last three months on board the Enterprise, he discovered he was having fun.

And thus, the time had “flown.”

Spock had spent time in space before. Unlike most of the Enterprise. Most of the crew was made up new cadets or ground Posted experienced officers, so his spare time was a rarity.

He had the experience and the skills, but he had not experienced fun during his years with Captain Pike.

The Enterprise had missions. They had planets to visit. They had ambassadors to ferry. They had observations to make. With the fleet recovering from the Narada, the Enterprise was in high demand. Spock hardly had a moment to stop and breathe, let alone rest and become bored.

Spock could say, without reservation, that he loved it.

The whole experience was the reason he joined Starfleet. He was being challenged in new ways. He was discovering and growing as a scientist.

He was making friends.

That was still a novel experience. Spock enjoyed his conversations with Ensign Chekov about astrophysics. The botany department always asked for Mr. Sulu, and Spock enjoyed his plants. It seemed that only Jim, Spock and the newest addition to the crew, a Mr. Keenser, could keep up with Scotty at his most brilliant. His relationship with the good doctor was still strained at all times, but they had reached an understanding. 

His friendship with Nyota was still strong, and he trusted her as a confidant. She had been his first real friend. He enjoyed the company of Admiral Pike and Number one, but Spock had maintained a professional distance. It was Nyota who pushed passed the gap and inevitably became his friend.

Now that she had met her soulmate, Spock had been sure not to demand too much of her attain. Instead of choosing to spend more time with Jim.

Jim, who apparently decided that he was going to make Spock his best friend, liked to play chess. And he played very well. They had spent many nights talking and playing.

Jim, who had captured Spock’s attention from the moment Spock first saw him.

Jim, who had smiled this morning and caused Spock to almost flush.

It was his friendship with Jim that he went to Nyota to ask about.

He found her with Mr. Scott in her quarters.

She had taken one look at him and had told Scott that she would meet up with him later.

“Ok, Spock. Spill.”

“I’m not sure of that…” Spock started but Nyota leveled him with a flat look, and he stopped provocating. He took a deep breath. He was given to understand that this line of questioning was often embarrassing for the one asking the questions. He was finding this to be true.   “If you could define the word ‘crush’ and describe how it might affect friendships.”

Nyota stared at him for a moment.

“Spock, do you have a crush on someone?” She said after a moment. She sat down on the edge of her bed and looked like she was trying very hard not to laugh at him.

Spock was sure that the articles he had read were right. This was far more embarrassing than he thought possible. “I am unsure, Nyota. That is why I have come to you.” He could admit to himself that he sounded …as Jim would put it: testy.

She did laugh now, but the sound was a soft one. One Spock had heard before and knew it to be friendly and not malicious. “I can see. Well, first who is it that we are talking about? This person whom you may or may not have a crush on?”

Twenty minutes later, as he left Nyota’s quarters, Spock knew several things for sure.

One. That Spock, indeed, has a crush.

Two. Nyota knows something and isn’t telling him. All she would say that he needs to figure it out himself.

Three. Jim Kirk will forever be the most maddening attractive person Spock will ever meet.

Nyota had given up all pretenses and had laughed when she figured out who Spock was “going on” about.

“Of course, it’s James T. Kirk. Who else would it be?” she had said. Spock could not fault her for that.

Now Spock had to deal with the fact he had a “crush” on his superior officer and someone whom he now considered a close friend.

And the fact that he had a crush on someone who was not his soulmate.

His marks were still blurred. In the past few weeks, he had not been able to get more than a word or two from the marks.

While his research into Mark blockers, such as the brand Soul Skin, had said that the marks would get blurrier as time went by and when the words are entirely illegible then the blocker would have to come off soon, he was not confident in his assessment of the situation.

His judgment was probably compromised. The last couple of months were the first time since he had been seven years of age and had failed to bond to T’pring that he had not been in slight contact with his soulmate.

He missed the burning.

The sensation had faded the longer the marks had been blurred.

And despite the fact, he missed his soulmate and their constant, if illogical, presence, he had a crush on his very illogical captain.

Spock realized that might mean he had a ‘type.' If he understood the Terran phrase right.

As he left the hallway, Spock could hear Mr. Scott returning and could very faintly hear him ask Nyota, “Can I set up a betting pool now?”

He did not hear Nyota’s response.

Spock hoped that the crew of the Enterprise would not particulate in the same foolishness that the crew that served with Captain Pike and Number One did but it seemed some things were a universal constant with humans.

Spock pushed the potential betting pool out of his mind.

Spock had a ‘dinner date’ (as Nyota had put it when he had told her) with the captain that he now had to meditate before attending.

Something told him that he needed it.

-

Being a long-distance boyfriend didn’t suck as badly as he had feared.

Hikaru called almost every day he could, and the days he didn’t call, Ben got a message. Sometimes it was simply an ‘I miss you’ message. Sometimes it was a letter that went on for pages. The calls came in at all times of the day, but Ben didn’t care much about that. His mother’s calls came in at all moments of the day too.

What sucked was that occasionally Ben would get a thought his arm that he couldn’t ask about nor could Hikaru tell him about.

_We’re going sentry duty on the Klingon border?!_

Like that one.

Ben frowned at his arm. He should be working. He had gotten a job at a research lab that was doing excellent things in agricultural biology.

But that thought had scrolled across his arm doing a break, and now that was all Ben could think about.

Sometimes what Hikaru thought was just rumors. Sometimes it was fact. Ben didn’t know which one the last thought was.

God, he hoped it was a rumor.

The Klingon border was a dangerous spot right now. The Empire was testing the Federation to see if the empire could gain more space.

Of the four ships that Starfleet had stationed there, two had been sent back to safe space to get repairs. That had been in the news for the last week.

If the Enterprise was being sent there...

Ben just hoped Hikaru would be safe.

“Mr. Miyota?” Ben looked up from his arm. He shifted slightly to hide the words.

There were two men before him. One was in a Starfleet science uniform, and the other was in a business suit.

“Yes? How can I help you?” Ben asked.

“I represent a civilian science contractor working with Starfleet and we were wondering if you had a moment to speak with us,” The man in a business suit said.

Ben thought for a moment.

It was lunch time anyway. He had nowhere pressing to be.

“I have the time,” Ben told them. He grabbed his commutator and followed the men out the door.

-

Jim frowned down at his padd when he received the official orders from Starfleet.

Just what he suspected. Klingon border patrol.

Damn.

He sighed. Jim knew his crew was ready. But he was still concerned. The ships stationed there had been getting beaten up by Klingon patrols.

The Enterprise was ready for a test. And Jim knew that the orders would give them one.

“Mr. Spock?” A moment before Spock looked up from his station. He had been writing something on his padd.

“Yes, sir?” Spock asked as he got up and walked to Jim’s chair. Jim smiled at the Vulcan. They had reached a compromise on Jim’s name. Spock would call him Jim in the off hours, and Jim wouldn't push him to call him anything but Sir or Captain on duty.

“Looks like we got orders. Walk with me?” Jim said as he stood.  “Mr. Sulu, you have a Conn. And please change are heading to Starbase eight. We have to be there before tomorrow at 1300 ship time.”

Jim heard the faint “Aye sir!” As he and Spock got into the turbo lift.

“We have pulled the Klingon border orders,” Jim said. “Starfleet’s giving us Shore leave for four days to prep the ship and give the crew a chance to relax before sending them into the frying pan.”

Spock nodded. “As we expected. But the addition of shore leave will be welcomed by the crew.” The pair left the turbo left when it opened up to the officers’ quarters. Jim did his paperwork in his quarters. He had heard rumors of Ready Rooms just off the bridge for the captain to work, but the Enterprise did not have one.

Before they reach the place, Jim said “We’ll start setting a leave rotation. We Will stick to the duty section rotation for the most part but will ask each division to give us a full list.”

They spent the afternoon planning the shore leave and the upcoming stay at the Starbase. Spock volunteered to stay on board the ship and supervise the resupply from the star base. Jim agreed only after minimal arguing.

Jim was always glad to spend time with Spock. Spock’s wit kept him on his toes sometimes.

Jim loved it.

And that meant he needed some serious drinking with Bones.

Because he can't be in love with Spock.

He has soulmate dammit.

A Vulcan soulmate.

A different than Spock Vulcan soulmate. Because Jim wasn’t that lucky.

A Vulcan soulmate he did admit he had been hiding from. Jim's marks had often burned in the past couple weeks and months. The shore leave would be the moment of truth though. The soul mark cover that he had been using had to come off the next week, or so or else he would risk causing damage to his marks permanently.

Two days later, after Jim had completed all of the major captaincy duties to the ship and the next meeting he had to go to for their next mission was in another two days, Jim grabbed Bones and dragged him to the star base. The bar Jim and Bones chose was high end enough that they could get a private room. Neither of them was looking for a company that night.

Jim didn’t bring up Spock or his soulmate for the first drink.

Or the second.

Or for most of his third.

“Bones, I'm not sure I can do this,” Jim said after his third drink. He leaned against the table that was in front of him. He could feel the alcohol in his system. It was just enough to allow him to talk but not enough to be really drunk.

“Do what?” Bones said. Bones was on the end of his third drink. He was leaning back against the couch they were sat on. Jim could tell that Bones was more or less in the same place as Jim was.

Jim frowned. “My marks. I don’t know if I wanna find out that they have fucked off to the new Vulcan colony and have started a family.” He raised arm. Jim had taken off his jacket when they were shown the privet room. The soul mark skin cover was flesh tone against his arm.

Jim really didn’t want to find out that the soulmate that kept him alive in Tarsus and helped to keep him sane in the aftermath and while he was stuck in Iowa had chosen to start a family rather than find him. No matter how logically that choice was made. 

He also didn’t really want to know that his soulmate wasn’t Spock. Jim wasn’t sure how to tell Bones that.

Bones put his glass down. He stared with Jim at the marks. Then he reached out and ripped the mark cover off of Jim’s arm.

“Ow! The fuck, Bones!? Give a guy some warning next time.” Jim said. His arm was on fire from the bandage being pulled off so suddenly. They both watched as the marks blurred and faded for a moment then reformed clear as ever.

 _Kuv_ _wuh hali-sutra shahtau wuh loading ak yi nash veh dungi kal-tor au tor tizh-tor gef trasha_ (if the crew finishes the loading soon then this one will allow them to enjoy shore leave)

The first thought Jim had was that the words were mostly in Vulcan. Then he felt relief that his soulmate was alright. His second was ‘why the fuck does Vulcan not have a term for _loading_?’ His soulmate only replaced words in standard that they did not know.

Then his marks burned and the words twisted and reformed on his arm.

_My marks burn? Did they? Did they finally take the cover off of the marks?_

Huh. Nice to know that his soul mate’s marks also burned when they thought about each other.

“What does your soulmate mean? Their marks burn?” Bones’ voice pulled Jim out of his wonder.

Shit.

Jim didn’t want to tell Bones this.

“Everyone knows the marks only burn once or maybe a few times, at most, when you meet your soulmate.” Bones continued. “Do ya think your soulmate has more than one?” he was still looking at the marks on Jim’s arm. They hadn’t changed again.

“Bones…” Jim started. 

That pulled Bones’ attention back to Jim’s face. He reached for the bottle sitting on the table and poured himself another drink. “Shit. That face is never a good thing.”

Bones took a healthy swig of the glass and then glared at Jim. “Ok tell me.”

“You know that thing, where everyone knows that the marks only burn when your soulmate thinks about you after you have seen them for the first time? And sometimes that the burning might continue to burn the next few times you meet them? But that few times never goes over three?” Jim began. He knew he was jabbering. And trying to keep his thoughts together. But if he never said it now then he would never be able to say it.

At Bones’ nod, Jim continued. “And no identifying thoughts can be sent to your soulmate?” He got a more impatient nod this time. Everything he was saying was basic and common knowledge.

“Well,” He said drawing the last part of the word out, “It turns out that my soulmate and I can more or less talk to each other and the marks burn when they send me a thought. Apparently, it works for them too.”

Bones didn’t even blink before he said, “You had to be complicated, Jimmy boy, didn’t you?”

Jim laughed. He couldn’t help it. He just giggled. Bones' face was one of resigned humor. Jim loved that face. 

“What’s the next thing you gonna tell me? That your soulmate is Spock?” Bones continued to talk, but between his accent and the alcohol, he was getting hard to understand.

Jim stopped giggling. And looked aside. And felt his face heat up.

Bones tapered off after a moment. “You’re shitting me? Spock? That’s who you think your soulmate is?”

“I don’t know Bones. The marks always burn. Evey since I was a kid. But when I saw him for the first time they burned more strongly than ever, but I actually wasn’t thinking about that at the time. Then afterward, with the Narada and the cut on my arm….” Jim said. He really didn’t know, and a part of him thought that there was no way his soulmate was Spock. Spock, who’s deadpan was a thing of beauty and could be relied on even in the worst situations to the thing best for the ship and the mission.

There was a larger part of him that really wanted Spock to be his soulmate. For all of the same reasons above.

“So, you don’t know for sure?” Bones said, sympatric. He reached out and placed a hand on Jim’s shoulder. It pulled the sleeve of his shirt up, revealing the tail end of words in Russian.

“No, I don’t. I know what I want, but I don’t know for sure.” Jim said, leaning into the touch slightly. Then he pulled way. And tilted his head at the marks on Bones’ arms. “What about you, Bones? Ever plan on telling me that your marks belong to Chekov?”

Bones, who had just picked up a glass to take a drink out of nearly spilled it on himself as he twitched and sputtered at Jim. “What makes you sure of that?!”

“Because it's obvious Bones!” Jim said. He also reached for a new glass of the local mixed drink that they were drinking. Jim wasn’t really sure what was in it, but it was impressive. “I mean you are always smiling at the kid and you smile for three people. One of which isn’t even on the ship!”

Bones seemed to sink into himself for a moment. Then he looked up, and he had the same look Jim knew he wore a little bit before. “Yes. It's him. I know it is.”

Jim handed him a new drink. “You sure?”

Bones smiled, and it was small, but it was there. “Yes. I confirmed it a few months ago. During the onboard check in medical evaluation.”

“Then why haven’t you done anything about it? I know how the kid looks at you! Hell, he’ll turn eighteen in a week. I know that Sulu is dragging him out to clubs while they are here on a star base to celebrate. We’re having a party on the ship! For both him and Joanna! What’s keeping you?” Jim asked.

“I don’t think _I’m_ ready Jim. Pavel’s… wonderful and is bright and is everything I think I’ve ever wanted but, Jim, after Joycelyn….” Bones said. He was staring at his glass. Jim didn’t prompt him to continue because he knew that Bones would speak when he needed too. “… After Joycelyn, I don’t know if I can handle it if something happens to Pavel. I don’t think I would be able to watch Joanna reacting to something happening to Pavel.”

“Bones… Joanna already loves him so, and I don’t want to tell you this but you need to hear it, she’s going to hurt even if you and Chekov don’t end up in a relationship. You are far too late to prevent that ship from sailing.” Jim said.

Bones frowned. “But it would- “

“If you’re about to say that ‘it would be worse if you and Pavel were together’ then I’m going to hit you. And I won’t be nice about it.” Jim threated. He waved his fist in the air just to show that he was serious. “Besides, you’re soulmates. You clearly like him. I don’t know how it was Joycelyn, but you really like him don’t you, Bones?”

“Yes, I do.” The admission was quiet and said into his glass, but bones kept his eyes on Jim. “I’ve spent most of my life sure I have a platonic bond. But I don’t. My daughter does, but I don’t. Pavel might be the best thing that has ever happened to me other than JoJo. But…” Bones set his glass down, sighed and leaned back against the couch. “But I’m not sure I’m ready for this.”

Jim hummed. “It’s up to you if that’s a risk you are going to take but Chekov is going to figure it out sooner or later. Probably sooner than later so make your choice soon.” Jim told him. He could see Bones going both ways. Bones had always been one to keep his heart shut and not let too many people in. But Bones totally was too late to prevent Pavel Chekov from getting into his heart.

Jim felt his arm burn again. He glanced down.

_I wonder why they kept the soul marks covered. I wish to meet them and ask them why. I must tell them about this journey into the stars._

Well, that was a relief. Jim’s soulmate is in the stars like Jim was. Not on new Vulcan.

Good.

-

Pavel wasn’t sure how he got talked into having a huge birthday party in the crew lounge three days before they reached the patrol point at the edge of Federation space and Klingon space but he was having fun none the less.

It was a combination birthday party. Jonna McCoy was going to turn seven in a month. They were going to be on high alert so the caption and Mr. Spock told her that it would be a bad idea to have a large party while on patrol.

Joanna still wanted one so she asked if she could have Pavel’s too.

Now that Pavel thought about having a huge party want Joanna McCoy's fault entirely.

“Pasha. Please tell me that I’m not crazy or rushing anything? Like, this man is my life, but I just don’t want to be pushing him or anything?” Hikaru asked. He was showing Pavel a picture of a ring on his padd.

Sometime in the last week, Hikaru had gotten it in his head that he was going to propose to Ben the moment they got back to earth.

Pavel did, in fact, think he was rushing proposing. But they weren’t going back to Earth for at least another six months. Hikaru would calm down by that point. “’Karu. If you proposed today to Ben then yes. You would be rushing. But maybe the next time you are on earth you can talk to him about this. But order the ring if you want.”

Hikaru grinned. “I will. And I will talk to him too! I promise!”

Pavel smiled back and then gestured with the drink in his hand to the small dance floor that most of the Enterprise's youngest crew members were dancing to whatever music people had. “Now please, would you dance with me? It’s my party, and I wanna dance!”

Hikaru laughed and pulled him onto the dance floor. They lost each other rather quickly though. Pavel wasn't too concerned about it. The rec room may have been the largest room that wasn't a shuttle bay, and it connected to the main mess, but the room wasn't huge.

Pavel was dancing with himself when a small hand grabbed his. He looked down to see Joanna Mccoy in her party dress. Jonna smiled, and Pavel twirled her around and danced with her. The loud music kept him from hearing what Joanna wanted to say.

The next song was a slow song, and Pavel began to lead them to the edge of the dance floor while still dancing. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Len staring at the dance floor. Pavel assumed he was looking for his daughter.

“Pasha?” Joanna asked as he spun her. She was wearing her best dress, and the skirts flared out as they moved.

“Yes, JoJo?” Pavel said.

Joanna ducked under his arm, and he reached out and picked her up. “Can I see your marks? Daddy says I have to ask if I wanna see.”

Pavel made a small humming noise. Sometimes his soulmate’s thoughts were just a long string of creative cursing. Not exactly appropriate for a seven-year-old. “Let me look at them first. Then I'll see if I'd let you, ok?”

He pulled the sleeve of his shirt.

_Those pants are absolutely sinful on him. Oh my god. He’s amazing looking. Annand now my baby girl’s dancing with him. That’s unfair. I wanna dance with him. She’s going to be hard to protect when she gets older…._

Pavel blinked down at his arm. His soulmate had a daughter. Pavel knew that. And someone is dancing with her? Someone his soulmate thinks is hot?

What?

“Lemme see!” Joanna said and pulled his arm to her eye level before Pavel could pull his arm back. As she did the words changed and reformed.

_Thank god, I don’t have a patient tonight._

“Your soulmate’s a doctor? Like daddy?” Joanna asked after a moment of sounding out the words on his arm.

Pavel nodded. “Yes, he's a doctor. And he is in Starfleet too.”

Joanna lit up. “He is? I hope your soulmate is Daddy then!”

They had come to the edge of the dance floor, where Len was walking up to meet them. Pavel wanted to sink into the ground.

Len had overheard Joanna. He had turned red slightly. Like he was embarrassed. Pavel didn’t say what he just realized.

That he really wanted Leonard McCoy to be his soulmate too.

And Len could be his soulmate.

Len was a doctor.

Len was in Starfleet.

Len was older than Pavel was by a great deal.

Len had a daughter that was young.

He was divorced.

He had a fear of flying.

And how had Pavel never realized this before? He knew he had a major crush on Len but Len actually being his soulmate has never crossed his mind before.

And now Pavel was too scared to say anything.

Pavel was terrified he was wrong. Because if he was wrong and Len was not his soulmate, then Pavel didn’t know if he could survive it. His heartbreak would be too large to handle. He loved Len. Pavel knew that but if he lost Len’s friendship and Joanna’s trust… Pavel shook his head. He would not do this here.

“I don’t know Jo. Let me give you back to your Da, ok?” Pavel said to Joanna. She smiled and turned toward her father, who reached down to pick her up when she ran up to him.

Pavel watched and forced a smile on his face. He needed to be alone for a moment to calm down because if he right then...

What if Len has a platonic bond with him?

Not a romantic one? Would Len reject Pavel’s love?

Pavel needed to be alone for a moment.

“Thanks for dancing with Joanna, Pavel. Jim had to talk to me about something and kept me off the floor.” Len said as he and Joanna crossed the short distance back to him. Joanna was hugging tightly to Len’s shoulders and was looking around. She wasn’t paying any attention to what her father and Pavel might be saying.

“I had fun,” Pavel said. “She’s going to be an excellent dancer.”

Len snorted lightly. “It’s not my family she got that from. None of us can dance. You look like you can.”

Pavel felt his face heat up and paired with his new realization, Pavel knew he had to leave. “I can, but I think it’s getting hot in here, so I’m going to be outside for a moment to cool down. Joanna?” He said, pulling Joanna’s attention back to him, and preventing Len from asking about his health. “I think they said that cake would be happening soon. Can you make sure I get a slice?”

Joanna nodded very seriously. “I will do that Pasha!”

Len looked relieved that Pavel was planning on returning to the party. “I’ll just need a few minutes to cool down. I’ll be back.” Pavel said.

Len nodded and waved with his free hand.

The moment he was outside of the rec room, and alone Pavel pulled his sleeve up and read the thoughts of his soulmate.

_Good god, those pants are unfair. I don’t like to be without him for long periods of time._

-

Scotty was sure he hadn’t been so nerves in years.

Nyota was reading his newest paper. The one where he proves trans-warp beaming.

It was the first paper he had written to be published in years. Most of his writings were for himself or Keenser. Not for the greater public. But Scotty really wanted to show the world trans-warp beaming and the two theories he had created from the original equation. Because once he started thinking space is the moving thing, then everything just opened up.

Scotty felt that the paper may have gone on a little too long. So, He asked Nyota to read it.

And now he was sitting here nervous as hell.

“Scotty. This is brilliant,” Nyota said, looking at from the padd. “I understand almost everything.  This is really impressive.” She smiled at Scotty.

“It's not a complicated mess?” Scotty asked. Sometimes Scotty got caught up in the math and engines that he didn't make himself clear.

“Well,” Nyota started, still smiling. “You do need to be clearer here in section two. You ramble on a bit there and you might need to expand on some ideas later on but the language is open, and for the most part, concise.”

Scotty flopped back onto his bed in relief. They were in his quarters. Nyota got up from his desk and sat on his bed. “I'm glad. I was nervous. But I trust you, Nyota.”

She smiled again. But this smile had an edge to it that made Scotty nervous. It was a dangerous look. Like Nyota knew she had him right where she wanted him. “Do you trust me enough to let me in on the betting ring you’ve got going on? The one I told you not to start and you did anyway?”

 Scotty felt his face turn red. “You know about that?”

Nyota gave him a level look. “Scotty, darling, I’m the lead communications officer. I get to overhear a lot of internship commas. One of your techs isn’t as careful as she should be about what she says over open commas.”

“Oh,” Scotty said. He knew which one of his techs it was too. Martinez would be doing the inventory for a few days. “I was trying to keep it from the bridge. Less complicated. I am sorry for not telling you.” He told her.

“I’m not mad about that. It was clear that you were going to start one anyway,” Nyota crooked a single eyebrow. Scotty had noticed that she and Mr. Spock did the same thing when they were calling out people’s bullshit. “Scotty. Half the ship is in on the bet. I know this for a fact. What I don’t know is what exactly the betting pool is on.”

Scotty stood up from the bed and walked to his dresser. Out of one of the drawers, he pulled a commercial padd. Not one of the Starfleet issue ones that they all had but a top of the line commercial padd. He pulled up the betting pool’s information.

Nyota got up and followed him to the dresser. She took the pad from Scotty and smirked at the list of people and the amounts they had bet on. Scotty watched her face as she read _what_ the crew was betting on.

“You’re betting on whether Spock and Kirk will sleep with each other?” She asked. She looked at Scotty, who grinned back. He knew that it was ‘I’m a genius, and you can’t stop me’ face. That look had gotten him into a lot of trouble before.

He knew Nyota was the one for him because she just grinned in the same way back.

“Of course. I’ve also got a side bet on how they, as a couple, will play out. They could be soulmates, or they could just be friends with benefits, or they could be a disaster or several other options. Most have gone with the friends with benefits option. Some have bet nothing will happen at all.”

Nyota read through the list again. “I can see a lot of people have bet nothing will happen. They will lose money.”

Scotty tilted his head. “Do you know something, love?”

Nyota laughed. “Nope, not telling! They need to figure it out for themselves!”

“Oh, come on!” Scotty groaned.

She shook her head and gave him back the padd. “I’m not telling but who are those people in red?” 

Scotty took the padd and placed it back into the drawer. “they are the only three people who served with Pike and Number one who have chosen to participate. They have all heavily bet on the soulmates option. Kelsey Ni’kilso, from the Astrochemical Labs, says that after they were forced to watched Pike and Number One’s style of command they were sure they could have recognized the same thing in Kirk and Spock.”

Nyota nodded. “They would say that. What about the other two?”

“Op’sen from security says that she thinks that if people can’t see what’s happening, they are blind.” Scotty said. “And my guy, Ken, likes to be on the long shots. Says it won him lots of credits.”

Nyota made a humming sound. “Think I can steal Op’sen from Olson? She sounds like she’s got promise as a commutation crewman.”

Scotty knew at the point that the ones who best on the soulmate option would win a whole lot of money.

-

The ship had been on guard at the edge of the Federation space for the last three weeks. Spock found that most people were starting to become tired of the constant yellow alert. The ship had to maintain a high readiness factor or risk repeating the mistakes of the last two ships.

No one wanted to be surprise attacked by the Klingons.

But it was beginning to wear on the crew.

Spock knew that they had three more weeks of time here on the border so he wasn’t as concerned as he could be by the crew’s slowing reaction time. Other than Jim, no one else had noticed the crew’s time because it was a small delay.

But Jim noticed almost everything about his ship and crew.

Except that Spock was quickly and quietly falling in love with him.

Spock was sure that the emotion he felt toward Jim, was love. It felt like how his mother described it. How Nyota described it.

Spock was in love with James T. Kirk and was not going to tell him.

Because telling Jim would be unfair to Jim. And Spock could not do that to him.

Spock looked up from his meditation corner of his room. He still had two hours before his experiment in the lab was ready for observation. He had not been meditation for more than an hour.

Jim was always filling his thoughts.

But so was his soulmate.

_I need to go for a run. Or a spar. Who will spar with me? Everyone I know is busy…. a run will be just fine._

His soulmate had taken off the cover over their marks and Spock could see the words on his arm again. He had missed the burning.

Spock stood from the mat and went to the replicator that all of the senior officer quarters had installed. He ordered some tea at a temperature that even the heat tolerant Vulcans would find most unpleasant. Spock found the temperature pleasing.

He walked back to his desk and placed the teacup on the table. Spock knew that if he told Jim that he loved him and started a romantic relationship then Jim and he would be happy for quite some time.

But then Spock would find his soulmate, his T’hy’la. And that would cause Jim pain. And Spock could not do that again.

Or Jim would find his Vulcan soulmate. The one who was not Spock, because Spock did not believe in luck. That would cause Jim pain because Spock’s knew Jim to be a good man who would not enjoy telling Spock that he had found his soulmate in a different Vulcan.

And Spock would have to check the urge to challenge Jim’s Vulcan soulmate.

Either situation would be painful for Jim.

So, Spock made a choice not to tell Jim of his feelings. Or desire.

The idea that he might be Jim's Vulcan soulmate had occurred to him but so had the chances. He didn't think that they were good enough for him to consider the option for long.

Jim was simply just too good for him. His soulmate would be illogical and beautiful. But Jim was everything.

And more.

Spock allowed himself one single shake of his head. He would not wish for the impossible.

_I want this song out of my head!_

Spock frowned at his arm. What song?

_It’s an old Terran song. From the last century or so. ‘Let me head to sea. She's the only one who’s ever loved me. Let me travel with my love. I will loose, and I will dance. Let me travel on the sea.”_

_It's been in my head for days!_

Spock was unfamiliar with the song but as he reached for his padd to find out when the ship rocked violently. Spock would have lost his balance had he been standing. As it was his tea spilled out along the desk. Spock eyed the spill for a moment as the red alert alarm started to go off. He would deal with it later, or he would get a yeoman to clean up.

“Alpha shift report to the bridge! I repeat Alpha shift to the bridge!” The voice of the beta shift communications officer only shook slightly as he spoke. Nyota trained her team well.

Spock left the room at a run. As he stepped out of his room, he saw Jim as he left his room. They exchanged a glance and move toward the turbo lift together.

He felt his arm burn, but he ignored it.

_The sea is my love, for you will never love me._

-

Hikaru gasped as he ran to the turbulent with Pavel. They had been in the officer’s mess. Pavel had been speaking to Joanna McCoy and Dr. McCoy when the ship rocked to its side.

Pavel had caught Joanna before she had hit the ground, but Hikaru had hit a table with his hand pretty hard.

Dr. McCoy had reached for both Pavel and his daughter. He caught them as they fell. Hikaru approved.

But the red alert had gone off immediately afterward, and Hikaru had jumped to his feet, and Pavel pushed Joanna toward McCoy. Joanna had gone willingly, and Dr. McCoy gave Pavel a long look and Pavel had returned it.

Then they were all running in different directions. Hikaru and Pasha toward the nearest turbo lift to the bridge and Dr. McCoy and Joanna to sickbay.

They fell into the bridge with two other alpha shift crewmen. The Orion, Gaila, who ran the engineering station when Scotty wasn’t on the bridge and one of her soulmates, Kenyon, who was part of the team that worked on the environmental system's station.

Gaila called out bridge the moment all four of them got into the lift.

None of them spoke for the short trip up, but as they reached the top and the doors opened up, the ship rocked with another blast. All four of them fell forward onto the bridge as the ship shook.

The captain was already there. Hikaru scrambled up and raced for his seat. The beta shift helmsmen jumped out of her seat the movement he placed his hand on her shoulder. At the same time, Pavel did the same thing for the man who was in the navigator’s position.

“Return fire, Mr. Sulu!” he was told the moment he sat down.  Hikaru got the other ship in his sights and returned fire.

 “Who is shooting at us, Spock?” Kirk demanded from the captain’s chair.

Spock, who was making readings from the science stations, responded, “It appears to be a Klingon warship, Sir.”

Jim nodded, “Uhura! Are they responding to hails?”

“No, sir! But decks eight, twelve and fifteen are all reporting damage. Med Bay is reporting casualties.” Uhura said. She was holding onto the edge of her station, but she wasn’t sitting down. Her hands were flying all over her counsel, and she had put the comms unit in her ear. Her beta shift communications officer was standing next to her helping her get the flow of information processed.

“Scotty, tell what’s going on?!” Kirk said as they fired back at the Klingon ship.

Hikaru knew that they were in Federation space. The other ships were in contested space. This area of space wasn’t even close to disputed border. The Klingons were getting bold.

“Shields at seventy-five percent, Captain!” Pasha yelled as the Klingons fired at them again. Something must have happened to the thrusters because Hikaru didn’t feel as if the ship was responding as it should be.

She was just a tad too sluggish to be any use. But he fired back and attempted to dodge none the less.

“The other ship is damaged, sir!” Hikaru reported as he sighted a direct hit on the Klingon ship.

“Keep at them, Sulu! Get them out of Federation space!” Kirk said.

The Klingon ship’s phasers caught them as they tried to turn to push them out of the area. It was a direct hit.

Pavel’s half of the console when up in sparks. The navigation screens flickered on and off for a moment then when completely blank.

“Shit!” Pavel cursed next to him. “Captain! The navigation station is gone!” his accent got slightly thicker in his stress. His station had caught him slightly before he had a chance to get out of the way.

Kirk cursed. Spock reached over and pulled Pavel away from the sparking station by the back of his collar. Once Pavel was safely out of the way of the sparks, Spock pushed him toward one of the sensor stations at the science station.

“Uhura! Call to auxiliary control and get the Navigation console there up and running.” Kirk was yelling. Hikaru was now trying to steer the ship without half of his instruments, and the seat next to him was still sparking.

One of the sparks caught his right sleeve, and the uniform started to melt. He shook his arm to put out the flame. It worked slightly. The uniforms were flame retardant after all.

“Mr. Sulu! More firepower!”  Kirk said.

Hikaru nodded and gave more fire. The phasers were enough to damage the other ship but not chase it away. “Photon torpedoes might be necessary sir.”

Kirk didn’t look away from the view screen. “Do it.”

Hikaru armed the torpedoes and fired.

The Klingon ship was stuck and shuddered. Hikaru watched at it turned tail and started to the Klingon border.

The Enterprise followed the ship as best they could.

“Auxiliary control to bridge! We can’t get the navigation system working! We’re flying blind!”

Hikaru cursed the same time as Kirk did. He was going to be flying by sight, and that could be dangerous in space. Particularly in the middle of a firefight.

But the Klingon ship was traveling away.

Then the moment they crossed over into Klingon space they engaged warp.

“I can’t follow them, sir,” Hikaru told Kirk. “Without navigation then I can’t use the warp engines.”

Kirk nodded, eyes not leaving the view screen. “That’s fine. We just want them out of our borders. Uhura, report this as soon as possible. Gaila! Tell me how’s Scotty’s doing!”

As Kirk went through every one of the divisions and got status updates, they waited tensely at the edge of Klingon space for another ship to appear.

None did.

_Be safe my love. Be safe while you are out there in the vastness of space._

-

Bones had his hands full with patients.

Deck fifteen was on fire. Most dangerous thing on ships: fire. He had burn patients. He had broken bones and at least two critical trauma injuries.

The ship shook a second time.

Bones spared a moment to look up from his latest burn patient to check on Joanna. He had made sure, to the best of his abilities, that she was prepared for an attack like this.

He had run her through several of the simulators at the Academy, and she knew what she was supposed to do if something like this ever happened. Joanna was to stay in his office, or the quarters they were assigned in.

And indeed, Joanna was in his office. She was sitting at his desk, clutching the stuffed animal Kevin gave to her at one point. She was watching him. Usually, he would say that she wouldn't be allowed to do that but seeing him was probably keeping her calm.

Bones returned his attention back to his patient. The poor engineering crewman was next to a console when it caught fire. He was going to live, but he would need lots of work.

Bones could hear the ship return fire. Then they have rocked again. “Damn it, Jim! I need a stable surface!” He said glancing at the ceiling.

M’benga, his other doctor, ran from the triage room and pointed him in the direction of a new patient. “Cursing later sir. She needs immediate surgery.”

Bones nodded. “How’s Chapel doing?”

“She’s handling triage like a boss. Now please scrub up. You’re our best surgeon.” M’benga said. He pointed out an orderly to put a patient on the far table.

“Then get me either Johnson or Lin. They're my best surgery nurses after Chapel.” Bones said as he reached for the sanitizing station.  The Sanitizing field helped when it came to preventing infections, but still, doctors and nurses needed to sterile.

“I'll send Lin. Johnson’s helping me.” M’benga said.  

As Bones pulled off his shirt, the ship shook a fourth time. His marks caught his attention for a split second.

 _Fuck! The station! Sparks!_ _Навигационная_ _станция_ _горит_ _!_ (the navigation station is on fire!)

Bones sent up a quick prayer to anyone who could be listening to him. To keep Pavel and his little girl safe.

Then he went back to scrubbing up. He had lived to save and no time to do it in.

-

“Gaila. Please tell me you didn’t drink the last coffee?” Jim asked when he looked up from the calculations.

“Sorry, Jimmy, sir. I can call a yeoman to get more if you would like?” Gaila asked guiltily looking up from the cup of coffee in her hands. She and two of her three soulmates, Kenyon and Sha’mahn were on the bridge. Kenyon had been the Deltan on the Farragut and Sha’mahn had been on the Enterprise when the Narada had attacked.

Jim had pulled a few strings to keep them together and on the same shift. Sha’mahn was a navigator was up here with a third of the command division.

“No. I’ll just wait for the next run someone makes,” Jim told her.

The attack by the Klingon ship had been three days ago. Most of the ship’s damage had been repaired, and most of medical had been emptied. 

But Jim hadn’t slept more than six hours in just that long. Nor had anyone who had any navigation experience at all.

The navigation sensor arrays had been destroyed in the attack. Scotty had found the problem and the problem was that they were gone.

As Scotty said, “can’t fix what’s not there.” then he cursed in several languages. Apparently, Uhura had been teaching him well.

But with the Navigation systems gone, they had to do the warp travel calculations by hand. And the warp equation was about three pages long for every five light years. The nearest starbase that could fix their systems was three hundred light years away.

And that was if they went in a straight line.

And they weren’t sure if they could do that.

If they could get to warp three, they would be there in a week. If they stayed at warp one, then it would be at least a week and a half.

If they could get to warp one.

Jim had split the command division into three. Every person on each shift had to help get the navigation equations or be the helmsman.

Jim, being the captain had stayed up. As had Chekov, as chief navigator and Sulu, as chief helmsman and tactics officer.

Spock was also working on the equations. But he was better at the whole not sleeping thing then Jim, Sulu or Chekov.

“Captain, I have more coffee if you need it?” A young voice said. Jim looked up to see a young yeoman in red with bright blond hair.

“You are my life saver, yeoman! What’s your name?” Jim said taking the cup when it was offered it to him. He started to drink it like he was dying.

“Rand sir. Have another cup.” She said, handing him another cup. Then she went to Sulu and Chekov. As she gave them the cups, Jim noticed that her arm was blank. No marks.

She had no soulmate.

Ah.

His arm burned for a moment then faded quickly. Somewhere his soulmate was thinking about him.

“Jim. Have you slept?” Spock said as he was handed a cup of steaming tea from Rand.

Ah, times two.

“Not for the last day. I’m almost down with this section, and then I’ll head to bed.” Jim said lying through his teeth. He gestured at his padd which had the equation for one of the next warp jumps. They had to do several warps jumps to make sure they didn’t travel too far off course as they moved toward the starbase. Being off by a little could mean missing the star base by light years.  

“Of course, sir,” Spock said as he raised an eyebrow. It was clear that he didn’t believe Jim for a moment.

It made Jim smile.

“If you would like to stay awake for a while after you finish the equation then I would offer a game of chess?”  Spock asked. He was standing next to Jim’s chair, and Jim checked the urge to lean into him. Even if he told Spock that he loved him and Spock didn’t shoot him down immediately, the bridge would be an inappropriate place for such things like that.

Jim still wanted them though.

“Of course, Mr. Spock. We’ll play tonight.”

Spock nodded and went back to his station. Jim watched him go, including his baser instincts for a moment. They had been kept under wraps for a while, but sometimes he just needed to watch an excellent ass as it walked away.

Then he turned back to his arm and read what his soulmate had thought.

 _Wuh_ _komihn bolau weht yuk do wuh vuhlkansu. Nash veh bolau vokau nash._ (Humans need more sleep than Vulcan’s do. I must remember this.)

-

Bones scowled at his last patient. She had been the one most injured in the attack. He had done two surgeries to realign her spine.

And now she was safe enough to be discharged to her quarters.

“Lieutenant, I need you not to go back to engineering. If I find out that you have gone down to engineering to go back to work before I give the ok, like you red shirts are prone to do, I will make sure you stay in the sick bay until all traces of your injury are gone? Do you understand?” he said with a fierce glare.

The glare worked for the science staff and most the command staff. But for some reason, red shirts seemed to be immune to his best glare and fiercest scowl. 

“But I have to tell Mr. Scott- “she started.

And Bones cut her off. “I’ll inform Mr. Scott. Now go to your quarters and rest. And I mean REST.”

As the lieutenant left, his nurse, Chapel, started to laugh at him from the storage lockers at the back of the Med Bay. “Doctor, you don’t have to threaten them every time they come into sickbay.”

“For the red shirts? Yes, I do. I also have to threaten the alpha shift bridge crew. They need it the most.”

She laughed again, and Bones smiled. Chapel was the best choice he could have made. She was an excellent nurse practitioner. Chapel would be an excellent doctor when she finished her degree.

Chapel smiled back, “It's because the Bridge Crew is a crazy as they come.”

Bones nodded. He could see her marks on her right arm. _I can’t believe this find! She’ll want to know this!_

Bones knew that Chapel had found her soulmate but didn’t know much about their relationship.

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Bones said as he walked away.

Bones left her alone. She was running inventory of what they used up and needed to reorder on the next starbase.

He needed to do paperwork. He went into to his office and grabbed his padd. Joanna was asleep on the couch in the corner of the room. Her math class work was next to her on the floor. He picked up the padd and looked it over.

She had gotten them all right.

Excellent. Bones would have to thank Scotty and Gaila for the tutoring. Bones let Joanna sleep.

She needed it after the last three days. She wasn’t having nightmares, thank all that was holy, but she was trying to keep Bones in sight.

And she was asking non-stop about Pavel. Was Pavel ok? Could he come down here?

And Bones had to tell her the truth. He didn’t know. Pavel hadn’t had a chance to come down in the past few days. Bones had gone up to the bridge and done some doctoring up there when it became apparent that the Alpha shift wasn’t going to come down to medical.

Pavel had some burns on his hands but nothing that couldn’t be fixed with a dermal regenerator.

And that had been four days ago.

Len missed Pavel. He missed him a lot. And it had only been four days since he had seen the man.

He missed his laughter, his bright hair, and eyes, his tenancy to talk too fast when he got excited. He missed his smile and his passion for space and Pavel’s attempts to help Bones get over his dislike of space. It had been four days, but Bones missed Pavel more than he missed his ex-wife on the business trips she used to take.

As Bones sat down, his chair made enough noise to wake Joanna. “Daddy?”

“Yes, JoJo?” he said, as his daughter pushed herself up into a sitting position.

“What’s on your arm?” Joanna asked pointing. “It looks like math! Why is your soulmate thinking about math?”

Bones glanced down at his marks. He hadn’t been looking at his marks because it made him miss Pavel more. Pavel had the tendency to slip back into Russian when he forgot a word or was struggling to explain things.

But his marks were a mess of calculations and numbers. Len typically wouldn’t understand what was being thought, but he recognized this equation.

Because Jim was doing this equation this morning when Bones had dragged him to breakfast. Because the navigation system is down.

Because this was the warp equations that needed to be worked so they could get to the nearest star base.

Pavel would be working on this equation. There is no denying it now.

Pavel was working on this equation.

Bones just stared at his arm. Something in him just snapped. He missed Pavel. Pavel was his soulmate. Pavel loved Joanna and Joanna loved him.

Bones loved Pavel more than he feared a heartbreak.

Fuck it. He wasn’t hiding this from Pavel anymore. He wanted to hold Pavel and have Pavel hold him back. He wanted.

And then Bones realizes. He was ready. He was willing to tell Pavel.

He was going to tell Pavel. Now.

Come hell or high water. Or space.

Bones was out of his seat before he could think about it.

 _Интересно_ _,_ _что_ _Лен_ _делает_ _?_ (I wonder what Len is doing?)

“Wait for me, Daddy!”

-

Pavel wanted his seat back.

His back hurt from sitting on the floor next to his destroyed station. Scotty was still trying to fix it. Gaila was still trying to fix it. She was buried deep into the station right now.

He would be with her, helping to put his station back together, but he and Mr. Spock were the fastest at the warp equations. They needed the equations more than repairing his (still not going to work once it's put back together) station.

Scotty was talking to Keenser through a communicator. Keenser wasn’t saying much back but whatever he was doing it was working. His station was quickly becoming as close to functional as possible.

Pavel glanced at his arm and let his mind wander from the equation he was working on.

He wondered what Len was doing. He missed the man. He had been working on the warp equations for the last four days. He hadn’t had a chance to see Len since the doctor had come up to the bridge and treated the burns he had sustained from his station sparking.

Pavel sighed and went back to work. They were almost done planning out the route to the nearest star base. He could go see Len after that.

The captain moved around the bridge restlessly. Spock had made the captain get some sleep so now he had more energy than the rest of the crew put together.

“Any change, Chekov?” Kirk asked as he moved toward him.

Pavel looked up. He hates sitting on the floor. Gaila looked up too.

“Not yet captain. I’m almost done with this equation for the second to last light year.” Pavel said, placing his padd down to stretch. As he did so his gold shirt moved and pulled up with his arm, showing his mark.

Kirk burst out laughing.

Pavel frowned and looked at the captain. The captain was laughing so hard he had fallen back onto the chair. “Sir?”

“Your marks, Chekov. Look at your marks,” He gasped out. “That’s something Bones always says!”

Pavel looked at the marks and read them.

_I’m gonna tell him. Now. Good Lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise._

Pavel stared blankly at the marks for a moment. He didn’t understand. His soulmate was going to tell who what? And what does a good lord have anything to do with creeks?

Then the turbo lift door slid open, and Len fell out and stumbled the way to the bridge. Joanna was close behind him, but she went up to Jim.

Len just got to about the captain’s chair and stared at Pavel.

And Pavel just stared back.

Then he could see out the of the edge of his vision Len’s marks. Marks that were blurring and reforming to create Russian words. Pavel broke eye contact with Len to try to read his marks.

 _Что. Лен? Что происходит? Почему он здесь? Почему я могу прочитать его метку? Могу ли я быть прав? Он мой?_ (What. Len? What is going on? Why is he here? Why can I read his marks? Can I be right? Is he mine?)

Pavel looked at his own marks.

_I don’t think I’ve seen anyone more perfect than a Georgian sunset in late July, but now I have._

_Please tell me I’m right._

Pavel met Len’s eyes again.

“Captain. May I- “Pavel started to rise as he spoke.

The captain, who was grinning in that crazy way of his, interrupted him. “Mr. Chekov, you can have the rest of the day off. Bones, you too.”

“Good,” Pavel said, standing. He gave the padd to Gaila, noticing for the first time that they had the whole bridge’s attention. Uhura was smiling at them, Spock was observing with a raised eyebrow. The captain was still grinning. Hikaru looked like he wanted to say something but wasn’t because Gaila had her unoccupied hand covering his mouth. Both of her soulmates were watching with curiosity.

Len looked like a deer in the headlights. Like he was stunned and didn’t quite believe what was happening.

But as Pavel walked up to him, Len began to come back to himself. 

Pavel reached up and took his hand. Len watched as Pavel put Len’s hand to his face. “You’re right, Len.”

That pulled Len out of his trance entirely. “Am I?”

“Yes. You are mine, Leonard McCoy.” Pavel told him. Then Pavel kissed Len right there on the bridge.

-

Leonard McCoy wasn’t sure what he did to have such a great soulmate, but he was sure glad that Pavel was his.

Bones broke the kiss that was probably one of the best things that had ever happened to him and pulled Pavel toward the turbo lift. He didn’t let go of Pavel’s hand as he pulled them away from the bridge.

“Daddy, can I stay here with Jim?” Joanna asked as he and Pavel reached the turbo lift door.

Bones looked back and smiled at his little girl. “Yes.” He sent a pleading look to Jim. Jim smiled and waved his hand in a waving motion. “I’ll see you for dinner, JoJo.”

“Me too, Joanna.” Pavel piped up. Pavel waved with the hand that held Bones’ still. Bones would care more about the affection being shown off, but he had just come running up to the bridge with the intent of sweeping Pavel off his feet in front of their friends, family, and coworkers.

So really, he had nothing to say about public displays of affection.

The door to the turbo lift shut and Bones had to fight the urge to pin Pavel to a wall and cover him in kisses.

Pavel seemed to have the same idea because he tightened his grip on Bones’ hand.

“Let’s go to my quarters,” Bones said. Then to the lift said, “Deck thirteen.”

They held hands the entire way to Bone’s quarters. They ran into a large amount of crew as it was in the middle of a shift but Pavel looked like he didn’t care, so Bones didn’t either.

Once the door had slid shut when they arrived at his quarters, Pavel kissed him again. Bones kissed back. They got lost in the other one for a while.

Then Pavel pulled away.

“When did you know, Len?”

And Bones sighed and pulled away. He didn’t think Pavel would like his answers. “I had the first idea just before we reported officially. I was completing the medical records and well…”

He pulled up his sleeve, showing off his marks. They were in a confused Russian.

 _Он_ _мой_ _._ _Он_ _мой_ _._ _я_ _так_ _счастлив_ _._ _он_ _мой_ _._ (He is mine. He is mine. I'm so happy. He is mine.)

“They appeared when I was fourteen. In Russian. You are fourteen years younger than me, and they were Russian. And a genius. That was something I ready knew from the marks. You were doing algebra when you were two, Pavel and rapidly getting better at it. It was something I had to think about.” Bones said.

Then he took a deep breath took Pavel’s hands in his. He wanted Pavel to see what Pavel meant to him. And he wanted to see that he was over this.

“I got confirmation on the day of physical exams. When I checked your marks.”

“Then why did you not tell me?” Pavel asked he looked away from Bones’ face.

“I was afraid, Pavel. I really was. Joycelyn messed me up a lot. I’m a bitter, old divorced man. Why would you want me as a romantic soulmate? I was sure that you didn’t want me not like I wanted you.” Bones said.

“But I did want you, Len. Ask ‘Karu! Even before we got back to Earth, I had a crush on you!” Pavel said. He took a step back and went to sit on the low couch that was in the corner of the room. It was partly covered in Joanna’s toys.

Bones watched Pavel move about the space with a sense of belonging. This man belonged in his life. “But that didn’t stop me from being scared, Pavel.”

“Pasha. Calle me, Pasha. You’re my soulmate. You get the nickname too.” Pavel said. He beckoned Bones over to the seat next to him.

Bones went. He had known for months now that Pavel was now one of the people he would follow anywhere. Jim, Joanna, Kevin, and Pavel. Maybe Spock. If the reason was logical enough. Maybe.

“Pasha.” Bones said, and he watched the grin spread across Pavel’s face. Then Bones leaned down and kissed Pavel again, lightly.

“I’m going to tell you the same thing I told Starfleet. I’m a package deal. Where I go, Joanna goes. Now I don’t think this is a problem…” Bones started to say as he pulled away, but Pavel interrupted him.

“Len, I love your daughter. She’s a delight. I can’t wait to spend more time with her. I think she likes me too.” Pavel said, leaning into Bones.

Bones just tightened his grip on Pavel. “She does, Pasha. She really loves you too.”

“Good,” Pavel said. Then after a quiet moment of bones just enjoying the moment with Pavel in his arms, Pavel spoke up again. “Also, if I run into this Joycelyn I will give her a piece of my mind. I don’t care. I will do it.”

Bones just laughed. “I’m not going to stop you.”

 _Я_ _не_ _думаю_ _,_ _что_ _мое_ _сердце_ _когда_ _-_ _либо_ _было_ _так_ _полно_ _в_ _моей_ _жизни_ _._ _Леонард_ _Маккой_ _любит_ _меня_ _._ (I don't think my heart has ever been so full in my life. Leonard McCoy loves me.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it for chapter seven! I hope you all enjoy! I think I have one more chapter left before the end! 
> 
> Thank you for all the reviews. They make me very happy!!! 
> 
> Once again I'm on Tumblr at asailordreamingbeyondthehorizon.tumblr.com. Follow me! I don't bite! :D
> 
> Edit: Also, I'm so sorry, but the song that Jim has stuck in his head is one I made up. I spent a lot of time looking for a song that was from the sailors POV that was about them loving the sea because the one they were in love with didn't love them back. and accepting it and leaving. But I wasn't able to find one. All I could find were ones from a sailor's wife or woman left behind singing about being left behind. Or the sailor being angry. Neither of which I wanted. So I wrote my own. The tune is a sad, slow one if anyone wants to know.
> 
> Edit: Thank you to alliseeisstarsforforever for the corrections in Russian!


	8. Chapter 8

_Tha_ _thu a 'damned ceart gu bheil an seòladh siostaman feumaidh làn às ùr. Cha robh sibh a 'faicinn dè a rinn iad air an t-soitheach??_ (you are damned right that the navigation systems need a full overhaul. did you see what they did to the ship?)

_I can’t believe that they thought they could just get away with minimal effort. At least we can get home._

Nyota had been in a meeting with her translator team when Scotty and Kirk found out they needed to go back to earth for the second time in a year. It was nearly 6 months since they left earth the first time.

Scott had already created a working plan for redesigning the Navigation system in its entirely without rehauling the whole ship. She knows this because that’s really all he’s been talking about for the last week.

Well, that and who won what from the betting pool.

While Nyota hadn’t bet that McCoy and Chekov were soulmates, it was evident that something had been brewing. She was glad for them.

She was also concerned about how much of the crew had found soulmates with each other.

It was a relatively high amount of the crew had found their soulmates while serving on the ship. Nyota wondered if that had anything to do with their Captain and first officer being soulmates.

She sighed slightly. She was at a meeting with her team leaders, but they were talking about something that didn’t need her input.

Nyota hadn’t told Spock who his soulmate was. Finding out who Kirk was to him was something that Spock had to do himself.

Nyota was sure that realization wasn’t going to take long. Spock already knew that he had a crush on Kirk. All he had to do is put the pieces together.

“Lieutenant. I know you are busy often, running the whole communications department, but did you get the chance to work on the translation matrix for the three Romulan dialects?” one of her lead translators asked toward the end of the meeting. She was sitting nervously waiting for the answer.

The issue with the Romulan dialects translator was becoming a problem. The three dialects were causing confusion with each other. It was causing much trouble with her team.

“I have, I see where you have been having a problem. I believe that it’s a soft wear issue. I’ve got the system techs looking into the issue.” Nyota told them. “If we don’t get the problem fixed by the time we return to earth then we’ll just reboot the whole system while we’re there.”

There was a moment of science. Then the lead translator asked, “We’re heading back to Earth?”

Nyota glanced down at her arm. She often forgot that most people didn’t speak Scotts Gaelic. “Yes. If Scotty’s thoughts are correct, then we’re heading back to Earth soon. I don’t know when but it would be logical.”

The whole team smiled and laughed lightly.

“Of course, ma’am. I hope the techs figure it out before then.”

Nyota stood. “Me too. Meeting dismissed. Same time in two weeks unless otherwise told.”

She got murmured agreements and goodbyes as she left.

Gaila was leaning against the bulkhead on the other side of the hallway. “So, Nyota!” she said. She had a look on her face that said she wanted to tell Nyota something but didn’t want to say her here in public. Nyota could read Gaila very well because they had been roommates for nearly three years.

“Gaila. I thought you were on duty today?” Nyota said as Gaila fell into step as they walked down the hall.

Gaila grinned, “I did, but I traded it with one of my teammates. Apparently, their soulmate needs a date, and they want to surprise him. I love making love happen!”

Nyota smiled again. It was always hard not to smile in Gaila’s presence. “I know you do. How are Kenyon and Sha’mahn?” She asked as they reached the turbo lift. She called out to the elevator to take them to the officer’s quarters.

Gaila showed Nyota her marks. “Sha’mahn’s the top line. He’s the oldest, so his were the first to show up. He’s working with the navigation team right now. Kenyon’s the bottom line; he’s working on the gravity housing tonight, and it’s a big project. Apparently, something got loose in the battle a few weeks ago, and the team is trying to find it. The only places that have been affected have been the lower crewman’s quarters and the crew lounge. But he’s worried that it could get worse.”

Nyota frowned. She had heard about that from one of her communication crewmen. “That isn’t good. I hope they fix it. I would hate to wake up and be floating.”

“I know, right?!”

The lift’s doors opened up to the officer’s quarters.

Nyota glanced at her arm. Scotty was still on base, but it looked as if he would be coming home soon.

 _Feumaidh mi deoch às dèidh na coinneimh sin. Feumaidh mi cuid bìdh cuideachd. Gheibh mi cuid luath, aon uair a gheibh mi air ais chun a 'bhàta._ (I need a drink after that meeting. I need some food too. I'll get some soon, once I get back to the ship.)

“Now tell me what do you want? You certainly want to tell me something.” Nyota said. She sat down on her bed and looked up at Gaila who sat on the desk.

Gaila was careful not to disturb any of the work there. Scotty would be very happy about that. “I think my last soulmate is still on Earth. And we, me, Kenyon and Sha’mahn want to find her. I don’t believe she’s Starfleet, but she might be. But we want to find her. Can you help us?”

Nyota already knew that Gaila’s soulmates thought in three different languages. Kenyon thought in deltan, Sha’mahn thought in standard. The third soulmate was the last row of thoughts on Gaila’s arm; they thought in a language that Nyota had never figured out.

Gaila hadn't asked before, and it was rude to just translate marks before one was invited to.

But Nyota had always been curious. “Let me see.” She told Gaila.

And that's how Scotty found them about an hour later. Nyota looked up from her notes. It was clear that the base language was Japanese, which Nyota could speak and read, but this was a dialect that she was unfamiliar with.

Scotty’s entrance seemed to rouse Gaila. “I've got to go, Ny! I promised to eat lunch with Sha’mahn.”

Nyota nodded. “Go. I'll work on this more. Have fun.”

Gaila waved as she left. “I will. Happy to see you, Scotty!”

“You too, Gaila.” Scotty said as he moved to let her out. The door slid shut, and he moved toward Nyota. “Want to get lunch, my lass?” He asked.

Nyota stood and kissed him hello. Scotty leaned into the kiss.

She pulled back, “I am hungry. And you can tell me about when we’ll be handing to earth.”

“I figured that you caught that,” he said as they went out the door to the hallway. Scotty took her hand as they walked to the main mess hall.

As they sat down with their replicated lunches, Scotty started to speak and then stopped himself. Nyota tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. She had seen Spock do this several times and it always worked on getting people to speak.

It worked on Scotty.

“I wanna show you home when we do get back to earth? If that’s alright?” he said quickly. “I mean if you want to? I really would like to introduce you to Ma and my brothers if I could. But you don’t have to if you didn’t want to. It's ok really?” Scotty sounded nervous, and his babble was cute.

Nyota was excited. “You want to take me home?”

At Scotty’s nod, she grinned. “Of course, but you’ve also got to come home with me! I’ve got to introduce you to my parents.”

When the Enterprise was at space dock at Earth for repairs, Nyota and Scotty had gone home separately on their leave. There had been a brief moment of introduction at Academy but nothing major.

Scotty was smiling wide. “Excellent. I really want to you to meet my ma. She’s going to love you and your ability to understand her! She doesn’t speak standard that well. She understands it but doesn’t speak it.”

“And I’ve got to show you everything in my town! And my university!” Nyota said.

They grinned at each other over their food.

_Even if she weren't my soulmate, I would love her. There is no way I wouldn’t._

-

Ben wasn’t as nervous as he was last time the enterprise came back to earth. But he was nervous.

He had a small box in his pocket that held a ring that he hoped was the right size. Ben was going to propose far too early but damn. He didn’t care.

Hikaru was his soulmate! They would always work it out.

Hikaru had told him where to go and when they were going to be released. Starfleet academy’s hangers weren’t as packed as last time, but they were still very full with families and friends. All excited for the homecoming of the enterprise.

Ben stood with a blond woman in a red engineering Starfleet uniform with commander stripes on her sleeves. They were the closest to the barrier in the dickey’s shuttle hanger. There were more families around them, but Ben stayed close to the blond woman.

Because that blond woman was probably commander Winona Kirk. If anyone would be told when the shuttles were approaching it would be her.

He pulled up his sleeve and glanced down at his arm.

_I haven't seen Scotty and Pasha so excited about the same thing before. I guess the navigation system will be impressive after this._

Good. Hikaru didn’t have any clue that Ben was planning on proposing.

“Your soulmate on the Enterprise?” the probable commander Kirk asked when she noticed him.

Ben jumped and looked at the woman. “Yes. He’s a helmsman. I’m waiting for him.” Ben smiled nervously.

“Helmsman a good place to be. I wasn’t one, but my first husband was for a while. He liked it. I prefer engines. I’m waiting for my son.” She said.

“Captain Kirk ma’am?” he asked before he could stop himself. Ben wanted to smack himself in the face.

The blond woman just stopped and blinked for a moment then huffed out a laugh. “Recognized me, did you? Yes. I’m waiting for Jimmy.”

“Hikaru’s on the Alpha shift with him. So, I can only assume they’ll show up together again.” Ben said. He looked toward the entrance of the shuttle hangers. No sign of the shuttles yet.

Commander Kirk nodded and crossed her arms. Ben knew her soul marks were hidden by the long-sleeved uniform and he didn’t stare at the place where they were. “I’m sure they’ll be here soon. I’m just hoping to get a week or two before one or both of us get called away again.”

Ben hummed. “A week or two would be nice. I would love to spend more time with Hikaru.”

“I can imagine with that ring box in your pocket that you are trying to hide.” She said, and it made Ben jump.

“How did you know?!” he asked, turning to look at her.

“You pulled the ring out before I got up here. I could see it. Gonna purpose?” She told him.

Ben just nodded. He didn’t care that it may have been early. “I want to have him in my life forever. He’s a part of me, and I’m a part of him.”

“Then you are making the right choice.” Commander Kirk told him.

Ben grinned. She was the first one who said that he was making a good choice. Seiko and his mother had tried to talk him out of it. But Seiko had three soulmates to look for, so she wasn’t much of one to talk about it. And his mother wasn’t in any position to tell him anything about making rash choices.

His mother had said nothing, but that was standard with her, and he hadn’t told his sister yet. His sister and her soulmate just had a baby, so he wasn’t going to take away from that.

“Thank you, ma’am,” Ben told Commander Kirk seriously.

Then the incoming shuttle warning started to go off. And Commander Kirk turned away from Ben to watch the incoming shuttle land.

When it did, Captain Kirk came out first. He waved at the crowd and started to go down the steps. He was followed by the Vulcan first officer and the ship’s doctor. The three of them were talking about something, and they didn’t pay much attention to the crowd of families. Hikaru’s roommate, Pasha, was right behind them followed by Uhura and Scotty. 

Then Captain Kirk tripped.

 Then Commander Kirk started to laugh. It made Captain Kirk’s head whip around. And Ben heard a faint, “MOM?!” from him but Ben stopped paying attention because Hikaru had stepped out of the shuttle.

And Ben hadn’t seen a more beautiful sight in his life. Hikaru was looking around for something or someone. When he caught sight of Ben, Hikaru started to run. Ben knew he couldn't hop the barrier set up Hikaru could.

And he did.

Ben suddenly had his arms full of Hikaru, and he wasn't complaining. Ben pulled Hikaru into a deep kiss. And didn't care that people were taking pictures.  

“Marry me?” They both asked when they broke apart.

Ben just stared at Hikaru. Hikaru stared back. Then they both burst into laughter.

“You dope. I was going to ask you!” Ben said and reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring.

“Well so was I!” Hikaru smiled, and he did the same thing. The rings weren't identical at all, but they were perfect for the person receiving it.

Ben just smiled. “I guess I know your answer too then?  Please tell me you wanting to propose to me means that you'll say yes?”

Hikaru laughed harder. “Of course, my answer is yes.”

“Good because my answer is yes as well,” Ben told him, and Hikaru kissed him again, and Ben didn't want this moment to end.

He could hear the rest of the crew talking in loud voices around them, congratulating them. Ben broke the kiss and smiled at Hikaru’s friends and people who are like his family.

He made the right choice.

_He asked me! I asked him. God, I love him._

-

“Hey, Mom?” Jim asked, two days after he watched Sulu and his boyfriend get engaged. “What was it like when you met dad? Was it like Sam? Large and sudden? Or like Kevin and Jo? Quite and sudden?”

His mother paused in her cooking. She was making her best dish because she was having a dinner party to celebrate the Enterprise and Jim's captaincy. Jim was helping. 

 She was the only one with an apartment in San Francisco, so he, Bones and JoJo were crashing on her couch and guest room. Kevin had a barracks room, but he was over often. He had been in class when Jim had arrived home. Winona’s ship had been going under major space dock overhaul. So, she was stuck on earth for almost a year.

Jim could see that it was already making her twitchy. She's just like him. Being earthbound for too long just bothered them. Something about them needed to be in space. The stars always called.  

“It felt like coming home. The burn was minor compared to the sense of completion that I found with your dad. He once told me that finding me was like his world had no focus then all of a sudden he could see.” Winona said as she turned back to the food. “Why? What brought this up, Jimmy boy?”

Jim sighed. He just had been thinking of when he first saw Spock. He had been so angry when the academic trial started. Just pissed that he was getting punished for winning, for finding a solution to an impossible. That’s a good thing!

It's served him well as a Captain.

But that moment when he saw Spock his arm burned like fire, and he could not stop staring. Everything seemed to stop for a moment. And then Spock opened his mouth and pissed Jim off more and then Vulcan happened, and he pushed the feeling out of his mind until the crisis was over.

But Jim never forgot what that moment felt like.

Like the world had recentered itself and Jim just hadn't realized it yet.

God, he hoped Spock was his soulmate. “I was wondering because I think I found him. But I’m not sure.” He told her. He wasn’t sure what he would tell his soulmate if they weren’t Spock. He didn’t think, “Sorry, soulmate, but I fell in love with a different Vulcan” would cut it.

His mom stopped cooking at that point. “Didn’t you feel the burn? That’s the key normally?”

“I did,” Jim hedged, “But it was during the Narada incident. I got injured rather early on, and I’m still not sure.” He had never told his mother about the marks burning when his soulmate thought about him. He still hadn’t told Kevin. But he was going to do that soon.

His son needed to know about that.

Winona made a humming noise as she considered him. “Your soulmate is a Vulcan.” It wasn’t a question.

Jim nodded. “Yes. He is.”

“He?” She asked. Jim had been careful to never assigned a gender to his soulmate, to prevent a preconceived notion. Jim has always been open to all possibilities. But now, he was at least sure that his soulmate was male.

“Yes. He. I figured that out a while ago.” Jim said firmly.

“Jim… Jim, who do you think is your soulmate?” Winona said. She was still looking at him considering. But the timer went off, and it made her turn back around to pull the dish out of the oven. “Is it Spock?”

Jim was glad she was facing the other direction because he knew his face had just turned slightly red.

“How in the world did you get Jim Kirk to turn bright red like that, Win? Because I need to know this for reasons that aren’t entirely ethical.” Chris Pike said from the doorway. His wife stood right behind him. Chris stood with help from a cane, but he was standing. Which was much better than the last time Jim had seen him seven months previously, the day the Enterprise had left space dock.

“Good evening Chris! I was hoping that you would let yourself in in a perfect moment to embarrass Jim!” Winona said. “Good evening, Number One. Coffee?”

“Yes, please. Also, please tell my husband that he can’t have information for ethically dubious reasons.” Number One said as she took a chair. She took the cup gratefully.

Jim watched as Chris sat next to her and he pressed against her in subtle ways. Jim knew he was looking at two soulmates interact and it was something that he desperately wanted to do with Spock.

He really wanted Spock to be his soulmate.

Jim’s comm went off, and he reached into his pocket to check it.

“Leonard will be here shortly with Pavel.” He announced to the room at large. “They are just late from dropping Joanna off with Kevin. The kids are going to a movie and having some sibling bonding.”

Chris smiled. “I’m amazed how that worked out. But I can’t wait to meet the Kid wonder who captured the heart of the best doctor that Starfleet has ever seen. Well, I would at least like to have a conversation that lasts more than ‘hello, welcome to the latest Starfleet crisis.’”

Jim laughed at that. Starfleet was always in one crisis after another it felt like. “Don’t call Chekov a kid. He’s smarter than all of us. Maybe even you, Number One.” Number One looked slightly interested in that. Jim didn’t think it would be long before Chekov would have a new person to talk to about astrophysics.

The buzzer rang for entrance and Winona got up and left to answer it.

“Ambassador Sepak! I’m glad you could make it! And you brought along Ambassador Sarek. Excellent.”

Jim froze.

Old Spock.

He knew his Spock was coming to this dinner.

Wait. Weren’t the two Spocks never to meet?

“Hello, Commander Spock! Please come in.” Winona's voice said, still at the doorway.

Then all four of them came into the dining room. And Jim was left staring.

“Wait. I thought. But…” He started, and Jim was sure Pike was laughing at him, that asshole, but Jim really didn’t care. “ARG., You were lying weren’t you old Spock?!”

Sepak raised an eyebrow, and Jim knew that look he had seen it on Spock’s face far too often. It was the ‘eyebrow of bullshit calling’ as the alpha bridge crew had started to call it. Uhura had one too, but Spock’s was really efficient.

“I didn’t lie. I merely... Implied.”  Sepak said. He sat down next to Number One and greeted her with an almost smile.

Jim turned his attention to his Spock. “did you know?” he was pouting. He was sure of it. And now Pike was definably laughing at him.

“I was aware. We had met before the Enterprise left Earth.” Spock told him.

Jim put that together.

Spock’s last-minute choice to stay with Starfleet and become the Enterprise’s first officer. “He’s the one who convinced you to stay!” Jim wasn’t really asking, but Spock nodded.

“Yes, he was.” He said as he sat down on Jim’s right. His father sat next to him.

“Good evening, James.” Ambassador Sarek said to Jim. Jim smiled and waved the Ta’al at Sarek. He was sure that he was almost passable when it came to that gesture. The ambassador nodded and returned to the gesture.

Spock was giving a look that Jim couldn’t quite interrupted and his arm burned.

Jim didn’t want to check his arm right now. He didn’t want to know for sure if his soulmate was Spock right now.

He didn’t think he would be able to be happy if Spock wasn’t.

The door opened again, and Jim could hear Bones’ grumble and Chekov’s happy voice.

And the dinner party got started in earnest. Pike began it off with, “So there’s new mission in the works. It’s five-year mission. So, we’re still in the planning stages. But let me tell you, it looks so cool!”

_His hands are graceful. He is practiced in my culture. I do not think I can survive if he is not my soulmate._

-

Hikaru smiled at his fiancée as he slept next to Hikaru. After sleeping on the Enterprise, he was finding it hard to sleep without the faint tremors and the constant presence of hums of the ship’s engines. The night, even in the city, was to quiet.

Ben was sleeping peacefully, and Hikaru never could bring himself to wake him.

God, he loved Ben.

Now that they had a few days to move on past the initial excitement of engagement, they have started to think about the logistics of getting married.

The venue, the guests, the party, and the fact that they have a time limit of the ship’s repairs. Knowing Scotty, once he was back from introducing Uhura to his parents and meeting hers, he would be all over the navigation system of the enterprise.

Also knowing that Pasha would be there to help, probably made the timeline even shorter.

And Hikaru didn’t find out when he would be back and together again with Ben, his soulmate, his fiancé.

“’Karu? I can feel you thinking from here.” Ben’s sleep roughened voice pulled Hikaru’s attention from the short time he had with Ben. Ben sat up and looked at the clock glowing on the bedside. “It's two in the morning, Karu. Can’t sleep?”

Hikaru shook his head. “I really can’t without the engines. But I wasn’t trying to wake you. I’m sorry about that.”

“It’s no problem,” Ben said, leaning against him. He was still half asleep, and Hikaru didn’t even try to hide his smile. “Whatcha you thinking ’bout?” he asked.

“I was thinking about the wedding. Who would perform it? Where and when could we have it? Things like that.” Hikaru said. He leaned his head on top of Ben’s and wrapped his arm around him. He could see their marks on the opposite arms.

“Oh. Yah. We should think about that.” Ben said as he closed his eyes and started to fall back asleep

Ben’s marks read _I wonder where we could have it? We don’t have much time. We don’t have any time. Oh God;_

His own said something different.

_Kirk could do it? Can't he? Is that an old thing? That ship captain could officiate marriages? Or is that just a romance book thing? I don’t know. I should ask ‘Kuru. I’ll ask in the morning..._

Even half asleep, Ben was a genius.

Because Hikaru hadn’t even thought of that. Kirk could totally officiate their wedding. Hikaru would have to ask him in the morning.

Jim Kirk would totally say yes.

The next day and the first thing Kirk said once Ben and Hikaru asked was, “Of course! Do you want to have the wedding on the Enterprise too? Because I can make that happen!”

Ben had glanced at Hikaru and just grinned. Hikaru loved that look because it was the same one he was wearing.

So, they, with Kirk’s help set a date just before they were cleared to launch.

In less than two months.

-

Scotty glared at the engineer from space dock that had been sent to repair the Enterprise.

This wasn’t how he wanted to go back to work after the best shore leave he’s had in years!

He had taken Nyota home to his little village just north of Glasgow. She and his mother had gotten along famously. They spoke Scotts Gaelic to each other, and his mother loved her almost as much Scotty did. She was already asking when he was going to propose.

His visit to Nyota’s home was a little harder. At first, both of her parents were cold to Scotty, but Scotty did his best, and they liked him well enough.

Nyota had taken him to her uncle’s graveside. Had told him all about how he inspired her to learn more Xeno-languages.

Scotty was sure her uncle was proud of her.

And now Scotty was looking forward to going back to the Enterprise and get back to work, to finish the planned repairs of the Navigation system.

Except he had to deal with the space dock’s principal engineering officer.

How did the idiot cock up the plan this badly?!

The repair plans were written in plain standard, nothing too complicated. Just inventive. The repairs were an easy fix if the workers had followed Scotty’s plan. But now they hadn’t, and half the ship is taken apart, and they were behind schedule, and they were having problems, and Scotty couldn’t believe what this man had done to his ship! What is that thing? What happened?!

He regretted leaving Nyota at Starfleet Command. She would be able to talk some sense into the idiot standing before him and Chekov.

Scotty glanced at Chekov. Chekov looked just as angry. “You are telling us that you are behind schedule because you did not follow our planned, and Starfleet approved repair and maintenance actions?” Chekov said slowly. Scotty was trying not yell at the moron who messed up his engines.

The engineer was trying to smile sheepishly and was failing. It was not enduring him to Scotty. Or Chekov, if the look of death he was giving the engineer was any indicator. “We couldn’t figure out what some of the alterations were for, and actually, it's impossible Starfleet gave permission for the system to look like this and we…”

“Oh god. I don’t want to know. Please leave.” Scotty interrupted. “We’ll fix this, please just leave.”

The engineer frowned, “I’m not leaving. I’m assigned here by Starfleet. I would need more than just a Chief Engineering Officer or a Chief Navigation Officer to tell me what to do.” He crossed his arms and Scotty was one step away from yelling at the man. Instead, he turned to Chekov to tell him to call the captain.

Chekov was already ahead of him. “Len? Is the Capitan with you? We’re having some problems, and we need to speak with him.” Chekov said into his communicator.

Doctor McCoy’s voice came out of the little communicator. “yep. He’s with me. Want us to come up? We’re in Starfleet command’s offices. We could use their transporters. It won’t take too long. We’ll bring Spock.”

“Please do.” Scotty said into Chekov’s communicator. “And do so quickly. I think Kirk will want to see what’s going on here.”

“Will do Scotty. Pasha?” McCoy said.

Chekov stepped away from Scotty and the engineer to carry on the rest of the conversation with his soulmate.

“You're actually calling the captain up here for something so little?” the man said. if Scotty thought that he would see the man after today, he would bother to remember his name.

Scotty shook his head sadly. This man just did not get it. No wonder he had never been stationed to a ship. “it’s not something small. Trust me. You ignoring our plans have pushed us back to almost unacceptable time. And the captain isn’t going to like that.”

When Kirk showed up with Spock and McCoy about ten minutes later, and the first words out of his mouth were, “What the hell is going on here?” For a moment the engineer looked smug like he was with that Jim was going to be angry about being called for something that he thought was small.

Scotty loved the gobsmacked look the engineer got when Kirk followed it up by asking, “Why is that panel open? That wasn't on the plans? Did I read them wrong, Scotty? Is there something wrong with my ship that we didn’t know about?”

“Nothing is wrong. and ya didn’t read it wrong.” Scotty told him. “They didn’t follow the approved plan.”

Chekov, who stood next to McCoy, said, “Not only did they not follow the plans, they made the repairs up on their own.”

Kirk froze in the act of looking at one of the panels what was open and shouldn’t be.

Spock, who had been following him also paused. “What do you mean, Mr. Scott, that they didn’t follow the plans?” Mr. Spock had gotten Scotty’s, and Chekov’s unorthodox repair plan thought Starfleet’s bureaucracy.

“Just what I said, sir.” Scotty said, looking at Spock. Spock turned and raised a single eyebrow at the engineer who was unprepared for the sheer intimidation put off by that eyebrow.

“The plans didn’t make sense! What they said was-!” the engineer started, but Spock cut him off with brutal efficiency.

“I am aware of what the plans said, Mr. Yellowsfelid. I approved them and sent the plans to Starfleet myself. Captain Kirk also has read the plans and is fully aware of the changes that were to be made. Starfleet is fully aware of the changes to be made. What Starfleet is now unaware of is the time it will take to put the repairs back on schedule.” Spock said, and Scotty was impressed at how easy it was for him to put the engineers, apparently Mr. Yellowsfelid, in his place.

Kirk had stood up from where he had been looking at a panel, and he glared at Yellowsfeild. “the plans were in clear standard. It wasn’t difficult to follow. I want you gone. And anyone on your team that supported this disaster. I’ll talk to Starfleet Engineering Command.” He turned from Yellowsfield to look at Scotty. “Scotty, if you call Keenser back from shore leave, how long do you think it would be before you can get back on the timeline?”

 Scotty thought about it. “With Keenser’s help and Chekov’s then probably two weeks. A week if more rather than less of the team that the idiot brought is trustworthy.” Both Scotty and Kirk ignored Yellowsfelid’s protest.

“Then get started on that. We’ve got less than a month to fix the navigation issues and do any other upgrades before Sulu’s wedding.” Kirk said.

Scotty perked up. “They set a date?”

“Yes, Mr. Scott. Mr. Sulu and Mr. Miyota will be getting married in three weeks and two days, here on the Enterprise.” Spock said as he came up to them. Yellowsfelid was almost quaking now. “We must be ready before then.” He then turned to Yellowsfelid and raised his eyebrow again. “May I inquire as to why you are still here, Mr. Yellowsfelid? Your skills are not needed.”

Scotty and Kirk laughed as Yellowsfelid paled and quickly left the engineering room. Chekov waved sarcastically, and McCoy shook his head.

 _Nashangaa nini udongo ni wazimu sana. Yeye anafufuka kuhusu injini. Ooooooo I got the dialect! Gaila's soulmate ya tatu! Nina lugha!_ (I wonder what Scotty is so mad about. he's fuming about the engine. Ooooooo I got the dialect! Gaila's third soulmate! I have the dialect!)

-

Pavel waited in one of the chairs next to Len’s temporary office’s door. Joanna sat next to him drawing and swinging her legs back and forth.

Len was in a meeting with Kevin Reilly. It was a secure medical appointment.

Pavel didn’t know what the sectary was about but if Kevin and Len said that it was necessary. It had to do with something medical in Kevin’s past. Pavel suspected that Jim also had the same security on his medical record.

And Pavel wasn’t going to ask.

There were some things that Pavle had learned that not to ask about.

The Enterprise’s repairs were well under way but thanks to Space dock’s engineering team they were unavoidably delayed. It was going to be months before the Enterprise would get underway again.

But that gave them time to prepare for Hikaru’s and Ben’s wedding.

It would be in a week.

Hikaru was freaking out, and Pavel was running around like crazy, but both of them knew it would be worth it.

Pavel was almost entirely positive that Joanna was drawing him, but he didn’t ask. She just looked so cute when she was drawing something. Pavel had no wish to interrupt her. He almost didn’t hear the sound of heels clicking on the tile floor coming closer.

He did notice when Joanna froze in her act of drawing.

And stared at the woman in a suit.

The woman had brown hair, and her nose was just like Joanna’s.

She was glaring at Pavel like he was a source of all evil.

“Are you Pavel Chekov?” She asked. She was still glaring. She had a padd in one hand and briefcase in the other.

Joanna hadn’t even moved once, and Pavel reached for the little girl, not giving the woman much attention. Joanna was troubled, she was more important. He had placed his arm on Joanna’s shoulder when she said in the smallest voice that Pavel had ever heard her use, “Mommy?”

 Pavel whipped his head around and started at the woman he had only heard about occasionally. He had never seen her. Joycelyn McCoy stood there and was clearly very unhappy.

“Are you Pavel Chekov.” She said again. This time, Pavel noticed that she didn’t ask. Just stated.

He nodded, “I am. May I ask who you are?” He asked only to be polite. He knew who Joycelyn McCoy was.

“Get your hand off of my daughter, and then we’ll talk,” Joycelyn said, turning her attention to the hand Pavel had on Joanna’s shoulder.

Joycelyn still hadn’t even acknowledged Joanna’s presence to Joanna. Hadn’t even confirmed that she was Joanna’s mother to her face.  It was like Joanna was a doll or possession. Not a person to talk to. Joanna’s expression fell. She looked heartbroken. That expression was not one that desire to be on a little girl’s face.

That made Pavel very angry. Joanna was still staring at Joycelyn like she couldn’t believe that her mother was here, despite the heartbreak, and Joycelyn didn’t care. At all.

“Wait a minute! Just what are you- “Pavel started when the door to Len’s office opened, and Kevin came hurrying out. He made a beeline toward Joanna. Len was right behind Kevin.

Joanna ran into Kevin’s arms. Kevin bent down and picked up Joanna and held her tightly. Kevin made soothing sounds, and Joanna started to cry. Len reached out and put his hand on Joanna’s head. She looked up at Len. Her eyes were red, and there were tear tracks on her cheeks.

“It's alright, JoJo.” Len smiled down at Joanna.  And Pavel could see that it was strained. He hated it. At the moment he hated Joycelyn. “Why don’t you and Kevin go to the grounds and walk around? I’ll have a talk with your… mother.”

Joanna glanced at Joycelyn, and she nodded slowly. Kevin and Len exchanged a glance. Kevin nodded and moved to the stairway at the end of the hallway.

 “You are not taking my daughter anywhere,” Joycelyn said, moving to stop Kevin.

Kevin just glared at her. “I don’t need your permission to take my sister anywhere. You don’t have custody.” Joanna, still holding on tightly to Kevin with her face tucked into his shirt made a small whimpering noise, and Kevin tightened his grip. “It’s ok, JoJo. It's ok. Let’s go for a walk. Does that sound fun?”

Joanna made a small agreeing noise, and with one last glare at Joycelyn, Kevin turned down the hallway that led to the outside.

Len watched as Joanna and Kevin vanished at the end of the hall. He waited until they had disappeared and then growled out,” Joycelyn? What the fuck. Get in here.”

Joycelyn who was watching Joanna and Kevin disappeared down the hallway didn’t even speak to Len as she brushed past Len and Pavel.

She opened her briefcase and took out a large stack of papers but made no move to hand them over.

Pavel exchanged a glance behind her back and followed her in. Len reached for Pavel’s hand for a short moment. Len held Pavel’s hand so tightly that Pavel was sure he would leave marks and then Len let go.

Joycelyn sat at one of the chairs in front of the desk. She still held the papers in her hand.

“What do you want,” Len said as he settled behind his desk. Pavel stood behind him in a show of solidarity.

“I want many things, Leonard. I want my life back. I want my daughter. I want you to go to hell. But I have questions you will answer first.” Joycelyn said, she looked confident that she would get all of her wants.

“I want to know, why is my daughter’s soulmate with you and not with her? Pavel Chekov is my daughter’s soulmate.” Joycelyn said. “And then I want to know who was the boy who said that my daughter was his sister?” Jocelyn sounded possessive of Joanna. It was almost enough to make Pavel see red.

Then what Joycelyn was saying actually processed. “My soulmate? Joanna?” Pavel said. “No. That’s not so.”

And Len burst out laughing. “I have to know who you get your information from because really? Pasha’s JoJo’s soulmate? Who gave you that idea?” he said between laughter.

Joycelyn looked surprised by Len’s amusement.

Pavel just shook his head. “Who told you this?” he asked. He wanted to know.

“I don’t think I’m going to tell you. If you are not my daughter’s soulmate, then I want you to leave.” Joycelyn said, her tone haughty. But Pavel had been trained in body language. Not to the extent of a communications student but he could read people pretty well. And he could see Joycelyn was nervous.

Apparently, Len could see it too. “Pasha is not going anywhere. He’s my soulmate, and I want him here. So, you are going to have to deal with that Joycelyn.”

“Your soulmate is the genius child prodigy of Starfleet?” Joycelyn bit out. She was still nervous, but the hint of anger that Len always had in his voice when he spoke about her was in Joycelyn’s own voice.

Pavel also hated that nickname, and he opened his mouth to tell her that, but Len beat him to speaking.

“Pavel is my soulmate. So yes.” He said.

Joycelyn glared at Pavel. “It figures you would cradle rob. I always said you would.”

“I don’t care what you said, Joycelyn. You are the one who broke our marriage because of your insecurities. I’m happier now. You are clearly not.” Len said. “Now let me ask again. What. Do. You. Want?”

“I want my daughter back, Leonard,” Joycelyn said, finally handing over the papers in her hands.

Len took the paperwork and read through them.

Then he put them down and opened up his communicator. “Jim? Could you get someone from the Enterprise’s legal team to my office?”

Jim’s voice was serious when he said yes, he’ll be there shortly.

“What do the papers say, Len?” Pavel asked. He couldn’t read them upside down very well. He could see legal jargon on the papers. Pavel knew that wasn’t good.

Len didn’t sigh. He huffed. “She want’s Joanna. On the basis that Joanna shouldn’t have met her soulmate so young. And that I am causing her to be in dangerous situations by being in Starfleet.”

Joycelyn nodded and smirked. Like she had already won. “You can’t raise her properly, so I’m going to take her and raise her in our hometown. The one _you_ ran away from. Away from the dangers of Starfleet and space. Away from the pressures of having an older soulmate and-“

“Bullshit.” Len interrupted. “Joanna met her soulmate when she was five. Three weeks after the custody battle was settled. You missed that boat years ago now. I told you when we found out. Or did you forget? Or were you not paying attention? Like always?”

“What do you she met her soulmate nearly four years ago!?” Joycelyn shouted. She took a deep breath and visually controlled herself. “It doesn't matter. You are a danger. So is your god forsaken ship.”

Pavel didn’t hold back what he wanted to say either. “The ship is safe. Joanna has been passing all her lessons. And really if you care at all then you would have at least reacted when Joanna started to cry.”

That caused Joycelyn to stop glaring at Len and start paying attention to Pavel.

“What is it to you, prodigy?” she snapped.

“What is in it for him is that he loves Joanna. we all do, and you aren’t going to win.” Jim said from the doorway of Len’s office, behind him stood Spock and Starfleet’s best lawyer, Areel Shaw.

Areel Shaw stepped forward and took the papers from Len’s hands and quickly read thigh them. She then turned to Len and smiled, the smile was a sharp one that Pavel would akin to one of the Loppinats cats from Orion.

Small, pretty but with teeth that were sharp enough to cut metal.

Pavel liked her. He did not like Joycelyn McCoy.

_What the fuck. She didn’t even want to talk to my little girl for YEARS. And now she tries this?!_

-

Nyota was sure she hadn’t seen the Enterprise’s observation room look so beautiful.

Or packed.

The wedding of Ben Miyota and Hikaru Sulu was a big affair. Many people liked both men, so they had many friends.

There were people everywhere. A good third of the crew was invited to the wedding, and everyone from the Alpha Shift Bridge crew was there.  A smaller subset of non-Enterprise Starfleet officers was also invited.

A large set of people from the University of San Francisco’s Botany Department was also on board the enterprise. For many of them, it was the first time they had been on a Starfleet vessel, and it showed.

Then Sulu’s large family were also in the observation lounge. As well as Ben’s smaller one. Just his sister and her husband and their little baby. As Nyota listened, she could hear Sulu’s mother invite Ben’s sister over for dinner.

Nyota smothered a laugh. Sulu’s family seemed to adopt everyone that they met and liked.

Ben stood nervously at the altar at the end of the room, in a black tux. His roommate and close friend, a short Japanese woman that Nyota had been introduced to by the name of Seiko, stood next to him.

The Captain stood next to them and was talking peacefully at Ben. Ben, who looked less nervous the more Kirk spoke, kept his eyes glued to the end of the room.

When Sulu appeared at the end of the room and someone, one of the lower science staff probably, changed the soft music that had been playing to something steadier, less lyrical.

Chekov stood next to Sulu grinning in a way that made Nyota realize why McCoy fell in love with the bright, young man. Despite their difficulties with McCoy’s ex-wife and the county of their daughter. Joanna was standing next to her father smiling like she didn’t have a care in the world. Her soulmate, Jim’s son or brother, Kevin was next to her and was in the dress uniform of Starfleet Academy.

Sulu didn’t take his eyes off of Ben as he walked down the aisle. Both men were dressed in full dinner dress uniforms. Kirk was also dressed in a full dinner dress uniform.

As they walked down to Ben and Seiko, Sulu never broke gaze with Ben. It was like there was no one else in the room. Nyota smiled and was pretty sure that half the audience was crying.

She wondered if Scotty would ever propose. Not that she wanted a proposal right now, they were still figuring things out. But she wondered. Scotty had become intrinsic to her life.

Nyota pushed the thoughts away. That line of thinking would be another time and place.

Kirk waited until Sulu and Ben had settled at the altar. Then he started the ceremony.

Later at the reception in the rec room, after the ceremony, and the toasts, and after Scotty had asked her to dance at least twice, Nyota started talking to Seiko.

“I can’t believe that Ben found his soulmate just by showing to the Enterprise’s return. I wanted to go with him, but I had a class I could not skip.” Seiko told her. “I think at least one of my soulmates are in Starfleet. But as they all think in different languages I’m not one hundred percent sure.”

Seiko waved her arm, showing Nyota the marks. One line was a little-spoken version of standard from Illini, a planet that was small but was still a part of the Federation, that was the first one. The second line was in Orion. Then the last line was in Delta.

Sha’mhan.

Gaila.

Kenyon.   

Nyota’s eyes widened. “You’ve got to come with me. Please!” She said, in a little-spoken dialect of Japanese that was only spoken on some of the southernmost islands.

Seiko gave her an odd look. “Ok,” She said slowly, “Where are we going?” she said back in the same language.

Nyota smiled. “I have some friends I would like you to meet.” She said as she dragged Seiko across the room.

To where Gaila, Sha’mhan, and Kenyon all stood, talking.

When she and Seiko got closer, all three of them grabbed their marks. Gaila saw Nyota first.

Then Gaila saw Seiko and Seiko hissed at her marks burned.

“NYOTA. You found her! She’s ours!” Gaila cried out.

Seiko stared at the three of them, and Kenyon just reached out to touch her arm. That got her moving. Seiko just grabbed all three of them at once for a group hug.

Nyota grinned again. It was hard not to.

Scotty appeared at her side. “You found their last soulmate?”

“Yes, I did,” Nyota told him. “Entirely by accident.”

Scotty laughed as the four soulmates left to find Sulu and Ben, to tell them the news and that they were leaving early.

 _tha_ _i 'na as fheàrr. Saoil gum biodh i ag ràdh ma tha i ag iarraidh a pòsadh dhomh?_ (she is the best. I wonder if she would say yes if I asked her to marry me?)

-

Bones stood in court with Areel Shaw next to him. Joycelyn stood across from him alone.

Areel’s presence was the only thing keeping this from being a repeat of the last time he had been in court.

And Pavel’s presence behind him. Jim and Spock sat next to Pavel. They were on his side. He wasn’t alone in court. He wasn’t hated by the entirety of his hometown with the only exceptions were his childhood best friend’s parents. He wasn’t in danger of losing his job. He wasn’t at risk of losing his home.

He was in danger of losing his daughter.

Bones took a deep breath and released it slowly and remember that he wasn’t alone.

Shaw was sure that she would win for Bones. She had told him that it was going to be a hard-fought case, but he had so many examples of Joycelyn’s lack of care of what happened to Joanna and her neglect that he should win in the end. It helped that this Judge was actually impractical. Not one of Joycelyn’s backwater small town judges.

Just before the judge came in Bones looked at his marks.

_Please let him win. For our family. Please win for our family._

Pavel was on his side.

Kevin had Joanna. They were going to Los Angeles to spend time at the Disneyland down there. Telling Joanna that had wiped the look of fear off of her face.

The fear of losing her father still kept her up at nights, but she could be distracted.  It didn’t weigh on her shoulders like it could. She didn’t fall back it to the shell that had been her personality for nearly two years after the divorce.

Joycelyn started to talk first. She had brought the case to trial.

And she did her damnedest to put Bones in a bad light. She talked about the hours he worked. The battles Starfleet had been in. The amount of death that Starfleet officers had to see and how it was worse for the medical corps.

That Bones couldn’t keep up with the education that Joanna needed.

Joycelyn tried to make it sound like she had done more than barely talk to Joanna every six or so months. Like Joanna’s soul marks weren’t the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Like Joycelyn loved Joanna.

“I want to raise my daughter on earth. I want to raise her right. I don’t want to live in fear that she will be hurt every time I turn on the news and watch the federation fail at keeping the peace. I worry that if she grows up in space, then she will lose all of her identity as an earthling. I fear that the Starfleet would go into battle and she would not survive.” Joycelyn told the judge. She sounded sincere. But Bones knew better.

“What is your ultimate goal? You have had nearly four years to protest the custody rights why now?” the judge asked. He had been listening to Joycelyn’s speech but not reacting.

“I want to raise her alone, without contact with her father, Pavel Chekov and/or the Kirk family,” Joycelyn said. She was standing center court, and she was confident.

The judge, a middle age man, nodded in acknowledgment. “Why away from the Kirk family and your ex-husband and Mr. Chekov?”

Joycelyn turned and glared at Bones’ half of the courtroom. “I think that they have pushed my daughter into a soulmate relationship far too early. Mr. Chekov is the soulmate of my ex-husband. And apparently, Kevin Reilly is my daughter’s soulmate.” Her voice was dripping hate when she said the word ‘Soulmate.' Her distaste was enough to make the judge look at her in question.

“Apparently?” the judge asked.

Before Joycelyn could speak against Kevin, Bones spoke up. “Joycelyn was not there when Joanna found Kevin. So, she is claiming that Kevin is lying about being Joanna’s soulmate. In fact, before she told me she had filed paperwork to reopen the custody case, she thought that Pavel was Joanna’s soulmate. Not mine.”

The judge wrote something down on the padd in front of him. “And why did you wait for so long before challenging custody?”

Joycelyn’s glare was impressive. “I wasn’t aware that Starfleet could be so dangerous. I had been lied to and was told that he was going to be stationed on a planet. Not on a starship!”

“Thank you for you impute, Mrs. Taylor. Lieutenant Commander McCoy, your side please?” the judge said.

Areel Shaw did most of the talking.

She explained that Joycelyn had left them years ago and had wanted nothing to do with them for the whole time.

Shaw showed that timelines of calls and messages. Bones had evidence that Joanna had asked for her to come to visit and Len had offered, and Joycelyn had turned him down.

It went on for hours.

Bones had evidence to counteract everything Joycelyn had said or claimed. Shaw presented the evidence. Joycelyn questioned it validly, but the evidence was always accepted. Bones had kept track of all of the issues.

He even had a letter that stated clearly that he would be ship posted and not planet posted. He had proof that Joycelyn was lying.

When the court came to Joycelyn’s last accusation, that Kevin wasn’t Joanna’s soulmate, did Bones let himself get angry.

“Sir, do you know how Kevin met Joanna?” Bones asked. At the Judge’s negative, he continued. “We were on a Starfleet shuttle to San Francisco. We had been thrown out of the house we had been living in three days prior. Joycelyn had made sure of that. She won the house, the car, and the shared savings. I was in the head. And Kevin and Jim sat next to us.”

The judge nodded. Bones heard the courtroom doors open behind him, but he paid it no mind. “When I got back from the bathroom, I could hear my little girl laughing. Something that was rare since her mother left and impossible to hear when we lost the house. She hadn’t smiled in days nor had she spoke to anyone but me. But on that shuttle, sitting next to her was a thirteen-year-old boy who made my daughter smile.”

“So, I’m going to fight for the boy who made my daughter smile. I’m going to fight for my daughter’s right to see her brother. I’m going to fight to make sure my ex-wife’s hatred of all soulmates doesn’t keep my daughter from being happy.” Bones sat down, and Shaw smiled at him.

He had done something right.

Areel Shaw finished up their arguments. Bones watched as the judge made notes trying not to think about losing his daughter.

“I must ask one more question.” The judge said. “But it’s not to either of you. Miss McCoy? I know you are in the audience.” Bones sat up surprised and looked around. Kevin and Joanna were by the doors to the courtroom. “If you could come up here, please?”

Kevin helped Joanna stand up, but she waved him off when she walked to the front.

“Yes, sir?” She asked when she crossed the partition between the benches and the floor. Bones had taught her well. Always be respectful to those who are in power. Unless they are screwing you over. Then fight them.

“Is Space scary for you?” the judge asked.

Joanna shook her head.

“Were you afraid when the Klingons attacked your ship?” he asked after he wrote something down.

“No. Daddy made sure I knew what was going on. I wasn’t scared because I could see Daddy. I’m safe in his office. It’s one of the safest parts of the ship! All of medical is!” Joanna said.

The judge smiled. “Do you want to stay with your mother? Here on earth?”

Joanna paused. Then shook her head again. “I don’t know mommy. I don’t ever see her,” She said quietly. “She doesn’t like to talk to me. But space is fun. Daddy is there. Jim is there. Mr. Spock is there. Pasha is there! If I have to stay on earth, I want to stay with Kev! When he grad. grad. Leaves the academy then I’ll go into space. I’ll be eight or nine! I’ll be fine!”

The judge made some final notes. “I’ll make a choice, and I will get back to you in one hour.”

Bones walked out of the courthouse two hours later smiling like he had won the whole world.

He was keeping Joanna.

She was in his arms and refused to let go.

They were staying on the Enterprise.

Joycelyn had ultimately lost the case. She had stormed out half an hour ago.

Kevin was right beside Bones on his right. Pasha was on the other side. Jim and Spock were ahead of them.

“I can’t believe that its over!” Pasha said. “I’m so happy for you.”

Bones smiled even wider. “Thank you for being here, Pasha.”

“like I would do less for you and Joanna,” Pasha said. He looked affronted that Len would think anything else.

“I love you.” Bones said. It was the first time he told them to Pavel. He didn’t care.

Pavel’s face lit up. “I love you too, Len.”

“I love both of you! Now Praxis ice cream? Please?” Joanna said, looking between Bones and Pavel.

Bones turned back and nodded. “Of course!”

_I love this family so much. I’m glad to be a part of it._

-

Spock was unsure why he and Jim would be called to Admiral’s Pike’s office instead of assisting in the repairs that the Enterprise needed.

While they had corrected the mistakes that the space dock engineers had made, they were still behind on repairs. Mr. Scott was working double shifts to beat the deadline he had set himself.

They weren’t ready to ship out.

But Jim seemed to think that their meeting had something to do with new missions.

“Come on Spock! We’re like a month from completing the repairs. This has to be about a new assignment! Don’t you wonder what it could be?” Jim said as they walked into Starfleet command.

Admiral Pike was currently in charge of ship deployments and tactics. “I do not wonder. However, this meeting might logically be about a new mission. However, the ship is just less than a month from completion. I would warn you not to ‘get your hopes up’ as the saying goes.”

Jim laughed. Spock felt a pulse on his arm and did not wince. He wished to see what his soulmate thought. But Jim’s laughter was more important.

They reached Admiral Pike’s office and buzzed the door for entry.

“Get your asses in here!” came the reply.

Jim laughed again, and he opened the door to the office.

Inside, Pike sat with Number One and three other Admirals. Admirals Barnett, Kormack and Palmer. Representatives of logistics, tactics, mission planning, and ship deployments.

Jim might be getting his wish.

They might be getting a mission.

“Boys, I have a fascinating mission that we’ve been working on. And I think your ship is the perfect one for the job.” Pike started when they sat down at the two left over chairs.

Four hours later, Spock could tell that Jim was still walking on air.

“Can you believe it, Spock? Five years! Next year!” Jim said as they left Starfleet command and headed in the direction of Winona Kirk’s apartment.

Spock had spent a significant portion of his time at that apartment in the last few months. “As I was just at the meeting with you I can believe it. What I am unsure of will be Dr. McCoy’s reaction.”

That stopped Jim dead in his tracks. “Bones will hate me! But he’ll come no matter what. And oh my god. What about the Sulus?” he seemed to think about that more. “At least it's next year. We’ll need to vet the crew for people would be okay staying out in space for five years.”

Spock was already going through the crew and thinking about who would be likely to request a transfer and who would stay. “I will prepare the crew.”

Jim didn’t bother knocking when he reached the apartment. He just walked in.

McCoy and Mr. Chekov were sitting on the couch. Joanna was on the floor drawing something. Nyota waved from the oversized armchair she shared with Mr. Scott. Ben and Mr. Sulu were sitting on the other half the couch that wasn’t covered by McCoy and Mr. Chekov.

Kevin was chatting to Winona in the kitchen talking loudly about an engineering problem. Mr. Scott and Mr. Chekov were apparently joining in on the conversation.

Spock’s arm burned for a movement. He glanced at Jim. Jim grinned at him. And Spock just knew what Jim was going to say just before he said it.

“WE GOT A MISSION!” Jim shouted as he walked in. Spock raised an eyebrow that stated that he thought Jim was fascinating.

Mr. Chekov looked up from where his head was on Dr. McCoy’s shoulder. “A mission? Already?”

Jim walked into the room further. Spock followed because he was finding that Soulmate or not, he would follow Jim anywhere.

He was in love with the man.

“Yep, this one is for next year but still a mission!” Jim said still smiling at the room at large.

Scotty laughed, “Well don’t keep us in suspense! Tell us what the mission is!”

Jim nodded. “It’s a five-year exploratory mission. To reach the edge of known space and explore!”

“What? No way!” Dr. McCoy and Mr. Sulu said at the same time, but they had very different tones. Mr. Sulu was excited. Dr. McCoy was, what Spock would call, a little angry.

Joanna had looked up from her drawing. “That’s a long time in space!”

Spock nodded to her. “It is, Miss McCoy.”

Winona came out of the kitchen with Kevin. “What’s this about a mission?”

“It's next year, mom,” Jim said as he took a seat on the floor, completely ignoring the fact that he was in a service uniform. Spock chooses to remain standing. “but it’s five-year mission.”

“Good. That would give me enough time to graduate.” Kevin said, walking over to throwing himself on the floor next to Jim. “Because I’m going to beat your record old man!”

That caused most of the group to laugh a little.

Spock took a moment to look at his marks.

_I’m so excited. I wonder if he is. God, I hope so._

_Five years in space. This is a dream come true._

Spock felt like his heart stopped beating in his side. He turned to look at him.

Jim, who was currently wrestling Kevin over the old man comment. Jim, who was his captain. Jim, who he loved.

Jim, who was his soulmate.

His other half.

His T’hy’la.

Spock remained frozen apparently long enough to catch Nyota’s attention. Nyota caught his eye and tilted her head at Jim. Spock did not understand how he knew that she was asking, but he nodded.

Jim was his soulmate.

Now he had to tell him.

_I can’t wait to see him every day! We’ll be in space._

_The stars are calling._

-

Jim stood on the bridge of his ship.

He had checked in with all the departments, and the final checks were good. His alpha shift bridge crew was ready at their stations.

Uhura was talking to Space Dock and was getting clearance to leave. Scotty was with the engines, but Jim had already seen him. Sulu and Chekov were chatting at they went over undocking procedures. Spock was standing at the Science station, verifying something that Jim would ask about in a few minutes.

He was waiting for the last of the crew members to board before they left. They were going to go through a quick space trial before they were on their missions.

“Uhura, I’ll be in my quarters, I’ve got some paperwork to finish. Comm me when its time.” Jim told Uhura. She nodded and waved him off of the bridge. “Chekov! You’ve got the Conn.”

“Aye, sir!” Chekov said.

Jim entered the turbo lift and went down to his quarters.

When he entered the room, he sat at his desk. Jim did have a lot of paperwork to finish. He reached for the first mission that the Enterprise had. It was a simple ferry mission. Just a training mission.

The mission wasn’t the five-year mission. Jim knew that was going to be next year. And that this mission was necessary. But it was still a milk run. Jim sighed.

The Five-year expletory mission was unprecedented.

These milk run missions were all about getting ready for something that long.

The Enterprise would be required to do more than just science missions and first contacts. They would be diplomats and representatives of the Federation. They would be defense and offense if needed. They would do many things, and they needed to be trained for it.

Jim knew that the next year would be busy, but by the end of it, they would be ready for whatever the universe has in store for them.

Jim’s arm burned. His marks had been burning more often recently. He glanced down at the marks. They were still hidden by the sleeve of his uniform, but he didn’t care. He needed to see them.

Nash nam-tor wuh shi etek nunau. Fi' nash mesut t' nash hali teretuhr. This is a place we fit. On this bridge belonging to this ship together, _I love him. I can’t hide this anymore. I must tell him. I will not be able to stay on the ship without him knowing._

What.

What does that mean?

His soulmate is on the ship with him?

Jim’s mind leaped to Spock.

Then his door buzzed for someone requesting entry.

“Come!”  Jim said he was still looking at his arm, trying to puzzle out what his soulmate meant.

“Captain.”

He turned in his seat to see Spock’s eyes on him.

Jim didn’t realize that he was getting up and walking forward until Spock met him half way. He didn’t ask permission to reach for Spock’s right arm. He pushed the sleeve up Spock’s arm, revealing the marks.

And there on Spock's arm was Jim’s own thoughts.

_What did that mean? Could it mean that he’s here with me?_

The marks blurred and reformed.

He can’t _be mine? Am I dreaming? I love him. There is no way he loves me?_

_Can he feel this?_

“I feel it every time you think of me, Jim,” Spock said quietly.

Jim didn’t even wait.

He kissed Spock. Spock kissed Jim right back. Spock wrapped his arms around Jim, and Jim leaned into him.

“You feel the burn like I do?” Jim said when he pulled back. “You know we can think at each other?”

“Yes,” Spock said.

Jim laughed. “Then why didn’t you tell me?”

Spock gave a raised eyebrow. “I was unsure. I knew what I wanted. But I was unsure.”

“Me too, Spock. God. Me too.” Jim leaned forward and kissed Spock again. He wasn’t sure if he would get over the feeling of kissing Spock.

“I love you,” Jim said as he pulled back, slightly. “I need to tell you that up front. I’ve been in love with you for months now.”

“Taluhk nash-veh k’dular,” Spock told him. He tightens his arms around Jim. “I love you as well.”

Jim smiled and stayed in Spock’s embrace. “God, Spock you’ve been there in the hard times and the easy times. You’ve been there most of my life. I know what taluhk nash-veh k’dular means. I was told it when I was a child.”

“You have been there for me as well, Ashayam,” Spock said. He didn’t smile, but Jim could tell he was happy. “I never plan to leave you alone.”

“Good. I know what Ashayam means too! You’re so sweet. Beloved. I like that.” Jim grinned and kissed Spock a third time. 

“Bridge to Kirk!” the comm unit on the wall rang out.

Jim and Spock exchanged a look. And Jim went over to the unit. “Kirk here.”

“We are ready for undocking. The last of the crew is on board. Is Commander Spock with you? We don’t know where he went.” Uhura said over the comm.

Jim glanced at Spock. Spock nodded his head once. Jim turned back to the comm. “He is with me. We’ll both be right up.”

“Yes, sir,” Uhura said. Then the Comm cut off.

They both turned for the door. Spock had hesitated before the door slid open.

“Spock?” Jim asked.

Spock offered his hand with two fingers outstretched.

Jim remembered seeing old holos of Vulcan couples. The most famous one was one of Spock’s parents. Amanda and Sarek had their hands outstretched, and only the first two fingers were touching. It had been just after they had discovered they were bandmates.

Jim reached out with his hand and copied the gesture.

Spock and Jim stay like that as they walked to the turbo lift and went up to the bridge.

When the door slid open, Jim could see that Bones was already on the bridge, without Joanna. Scotty was sitting at the engineering station. The rest of the crew was in their places and ready to go.

Chekov’s standard “Captain on the bridge!” was cut off by Uhura’s cry of “FINALLY!”

Most the bridge froze and started to look between Uhura and Jim and Spock.

“Captain. Spock. Please tell me that you are kissing because you finally admitted that you are soulmates!” Uhura said.

Spock nodded, and Jim smiled and waved his free hand. “Yes, we are.”

The bridge burst into a flurry of movement. Bones said, “Kissing? Well damn. Sulu. You owe me money. As does half my staff.”

Scotty was grinning as more than half of the bridge crew got up to hand him credit chips.

Uhura came up and hugged them both. “I’m so happy for you guys!” she left them and went back to their station.

Jim turned to Spock and grinned. “Did ya know that there was a betting pool?”

Spock considered that. “Once again, I suspected, but I had no confirmation.”

“Oh. Well. Come on, Soulmate. Let’s start exploring the universe together.” Jim said, and he pointed at the science station.

Spock nodded and took his hand back. “Of course, Ashayam.”

_I love you._

-

Epilogue.

Kevin felt the transporter reform him on the transporter pad. He let go of the breath that he had been holding.

He had made it. He was on the Enterprise. He glanced at his four other classmates, one of them were looking around and smiling. She was human. But the other three were Vulcans. Solik, T’manna, Solik’s mate and Kov.

They were the last of the crew to beam aboard. Two more people were coming on board, but Kevin and his crew were the last of the crew.

Scotty motioned them to step off. Kevin picked up his sea bag and hustled off of the pad.

The five of them formed a line and stood at attention. The captain and the first officer had been waiting for them.

Captain Kirk walked down the line and inspected all of the crew. They knew they were the best the Academy had to offer. They had all jumped at the offer to serve abroad the Enterprise when it came. They knew that it was going to be an extended mission.

Kevin had worked hard to be in the top five graduated of their class at Starfleet Academy. He was the third ranked.

“Welcome to the USS Enterprise!  I do hope you enjoy working here. We are the best, and we expect the best. If you would follow the quartermaster, xie will get you settled.” The Captain said as he gestured to a short, thin alien who, Kevin knew for a fact, could bench press all of them. At once. Even the Vulcans at three times the density of humans.

“Ensign Reilly. If you could stay for a moment.” The captain said. Kevin nodded and put the bag he just started to pick up down. His four other classmates left, following the quartermaster.

When they had left the room, and before the door slid shut, Sulu came hurrying in. “Have they arrived, sir?”

Spock shook his head. “They haven’t, Lieutenant. We are still waiting for clearance to beam them up from Starfleet command.”

“Good, then I’m not late!” Sulu said as he turned to face the transporter pad.

Kevin returned his attention to his captain. His father. His brother. Jim. He tackled hugged Jim. “I’ve missed you. I’m glad to be here.”

Jim grinned. “I couldn’t leave the third best person in the class behind. I mean it’s just not happening.”

Spock nodded. “It would be illogical.”

“It's good to see you too Spock.” Kevin smiled at his superior officer. He then turned to Scotty. “It’s good you see you too Scotty. I’m working with you for a while.”

Scotty nodded. “You’ll do well with me. Ah! Got the all clear. Beaming them up now sir.”

Jim nodded. “Energize!”

Two figures appeared on the transporter pad. The light faded and Ben Sulu was standing there with a little girl about two next to him. A small load of bags sat behind them.

Sulu ran up and hugged Ben first and then bent down to hug the little girl. The little girl smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck and Sulu picked her up.

Kevin went up and helped pull their luggage off of the pad.

“Welcome to the Enterprise! As our new contractor to the botany department, we’ll hope you’ll like it Mr. Sulu.” Jim told Ben.

Ben made a face. “Just call me Ben. Having two Mr. Sulu’s would be complicated, I think.”

Jim smiled. “Yes. It could be.”

“Nyota. Transporter secure. All parties are on board.” Scotty said into the comm unit on the transporter station.

“Oh good. Tell the captain that his presence is ‘respectfully requested’ by a certain admiral. We need his permission to take off.” Uhura’s voice said.

Jim leaned over and clicked the response button “I’ll be there as soon as possible.”

“And Scotty. Remember that we have a dinner tonight!” Uhura said.

Scotty laughed. “I won’t love. I’ll be there.”

“Everyone,” Jim said as he nodded his head. “Mr. Spock, with me please.” Jim reached out, and spock did the same, and for a moment their first two fingers touched and stayed. Then they were both walking out and leaving the room. “Kevin! Yeoman Rand will show you to the quartermaster’s office,” he said as they left the room.

Jim nodded at a blond woman who had stepped into the room.

“Hello, I’m Ensign Reilly,” Kevin told the woman.

The beautiful woman smiled. “I’m Rand. Let me show you to the quartermasters'. Xie will be able to get you a room.”

Kevin picked up his bag and waved at the Sulu family and Scotty. They waved back. He followed Rand and tired not to stare as he looked around the ship.

He already loved it.

Rand pointed him to the quartermaster’s office. “Xie’s in here. If you need any help, Mr. Reilly.”

Kevin nodded. “I will, Miss Rand.”

He told himself that he definably staring after Rand as she left.

The quartermaster assigned him to a room that was shared with another man. As he was an ensign, he was sharing a room. Kevin didn’t mind.

Then Kevin reported to medical for the new check-in reports.

He found his soulmate and sister sitting at desk nest to the doorway drawing. “JoJo.”

Joanna looked up, and a smile broke out over her face. “KEVIN! DADDY! Stop kissing Pasha! Kevin is here!”

Kevin laughed as he heard a muffled cursing from behind the door of the chief medical officer’s office. “Have they been in there long?” he asked.

Joanna shook her head. “Not really. But it’s fun to tease. They like to tease me, so I’m going to tease them!”

“That’s my sister,” Kevin said. Joanna grinned.

Bones and Pavel came out of the office looking flustered but put together.

Except both of their hair were a mess. Going up in all directions. It was harder to tell with Pavel, but with Bones, his hair was a mess.

Both Joanna and Kevin burst out laughing.

Bones glared at them. “Laugh it up now. Please. Wait until you have someone. Then let the revenge commence.”

Kevin just laughed.

He was on the Enterprise. His soulmate is on the enterprise. His family is on the Enterprise.

The five-year mission is a go.

They would do it too. If his brother had anything to say about it.

The Enterprise would boldly go.

_Let’s get going. We’re all here! Let’s go!_

-

Though my soul may set in darkness,  
it will rise in perfect light;  
I have loved the stars too fondly  
to be fearful of the night

-The old Astronomer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK Ladies and Gentlemen. that's all! this had been a crazy few months. when I started this story, it was a cute maybe 5000-word story. then I planned it out. then I started writing. I first I thought it would 10,000 words. then maybe 20,000. 
> 
> then I wrote quick and soon enough I had 50,000 words. I didn't mean to write a novel. but I did. I don't usually write, I normally podfic but this idea ate my life and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next. 
> 
> thank you all for reading this to the end. thank you for commenting. once again I'm on Tumblr at asailordreamingbeyondthehorizon.tumblr.com!


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